Akame ga Kill: Mortal Kombat 2
by Sentaifan101
Summary: Part two of the Akame ga Kill: Mortal Kombat trilogy. Will Tatsumi be able to save his friends less than a millennium in the past? And is there another menace behind their deaths? As the fights go; send me discriptions of them in the private messages, include moves as well. Movesets are in my Profile on Deviantart. On Hiatus.
1. Chapter 1

**Kill the Second Chance: Tatsumi 1(Part 1)**

My name is Tatsumi, and I'm a defender of Earthrealm. It's not an easy job, but it's a job that needs to be done. A few months prior to the start of this new adventure, we saved the world from the Fallen Elder God, Shinnok. It was a close call, but I was able to send him back to the Netherrealm he came from, along with his decipals, Quan Chi and D'Vorah.

Still, it feels like that this wasn't the end of it; in point of fact, it was only just the beginning...the beginning of the end.

* * *

 **Heavens:**

"You are asking...to invade Outworld?"

"I'm asking for a second chance at a peace treaty, Mighty Elder Gods."

Let me tell ya', asking the Elder Gods for these things is a chore. Just to gain the rights to invade a realm, you have to follow their rules, or pay the price.

The way to get the rights; The ruler's chosen fighters must defeat the realm's defenders in a tournament of "Mortal Kombat" held every five hundred years; One tournament victory every fifty years. In other words, the defenders have to be defeated ten times in a row, before the invading the realm is allowed. Easier said than done when you consider the competition.

Luckily, I wasn't aiming to conquer Outworld, but rather to declare peace that would end all fighting. I don't understand much about politics, so Raiden came with us.

* * *

 **Outworld:**

The Osh-Tek soldiers didn't take too kindly to us. To only make things worse, Kotal Kahn came toward us.

"Raiden, you do not belong here."

"I am not pleased to see you either, Emperor. But we must discuss new beginnings."

"I grow tired of talk."

"Fighting will get us nowhere."

Kotal turned his attention to me.

"You respected the Reiko Accords, but you broke them; that's what hurts."

"You are one to talk. You dare return here, traitor?!"

"The only traitor here is you, Kotal Kahn!"

Fight

Kotal put up a fight, but my Shaolin abilities were more than enough to give me just the leg-up I needed.

Tatsumi wins-Flawless victory

"We'll only stop if you agree to the new Reiko Accords."

"Very well, then."

"Like I said before, I fight for Earthrealm...Just like you fight to protect Outworld." All of the sudden, a portal opened underneath my feet. "What the hell?! Whoa! Wha...waaaahhhhhh!"

This was the day that would begin to alter time. However, I was all alone; the portal was underneath me only.

* * *

 _ **Yeah, it's short, so what? This is just the introduction.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	2. Chapter 2: Tatsumi 1

**Kill the Darkness: Tatsumi 1(Part 2)**

I shot awake; I was in a forest—the forest that I got separated from my friends, Ieysayu and Sayo.

"Hey, Tatsumi!" I couldn't believe it, it was them. "Why're you still trying to sleep?! Our village isn't going to save itself!"

At first, I thought that the events later were just a dream. However, I happened to find an amulet on me, displaying people I knew, and would encounter. _"Elder Gods, you gave me a chance?!"_

 _ **"As a reward for ending Shinnok's reign of terror. Use it wisely, and return to the future the same way as before."**_

 _"So I'm gonna hafta get brain freeze all over again...Great."_

* * *

It wasn't long before the bandits attacked; however, I wasn't going to lose my friends a second time without a fight. So, I drew my sword, and bisected the first three bandits at the waist in one strike. "Damn bandits..." The rest ran off in fear. I then realized that this was my old sword, and not the key to **Incursio**.

Sayo, "Uhhh...Tatsumi..."

Ieysayu, "Are you alright, buddy?!"

"Yeah, but it looks like we need to take the long route."

We did—It took longer than expected, because we had to deal with Ieysayu getting distracted by numerous things:

A beehive to take honey;

Ieysayu, "I got honey...OW! Don't you bees know how to share?! AAAAHHHH!"

Hemlock berries;

Ieysayu, "I found some berries for us to eat!"

Sayo, "Those are poisonous, you moron!"

Even falling into a pitfall;

Me, "Real smooth, Ieysayu..."

Ieysayu, "Shut up, and get me outta here!"

And this was every 3 hours.

* * *

 **Three Days Later:**

A couple of merchants in a horse-drawn carriage were abruptly stopped by a danger beast(A form of predatory animal at the time). "Wha...!"

"It's an...Earth dragon!"

I had to help them, so I darted out of the brush—Sayo, "Tatsumi?!"—, leapt on top of the carriage, and jumped towards the earth dragon, slashing it's right arm off, before landing back onto the ground, right as the severed limb crashed behind me. I stood back up and turned back to the creature. "Class one danger beast...right, an earth dragon...this should be fun!" The colossal beast roared in rage at me. "Aw, don't be mad..." It slammed it's claw down, only I was already airborne. "I'll take care of ya'! Hyuah!" I slashed it multiple times, killing it with massive blood loss as it fell to the ground. Then, Ieysayu and Sayo ran up to me.

Ieysayu, "Showoff!"

Sayo thumped the back of my head, "Don't do something so stupid like that again!"

"H-Holy shit..." One of the merchants breathed out in shock, as he watched the bloody danger beast crash into the ground.

"That was incredible, kid!" The other man cheered, as he ran towards Tatsumi.

"You took down a Class-one danger beast all by yourself." The first man exclaimed, following behind his friend.

My response, I blushed and smiled at them, "Aw, come on! You're giving me way too much credit! And, oh yeah, the name's 'Tatsumi,' and this is Ieysayu and Sayo..."

Ieysayu decided to brag, "Soon, the whole capital's gonna know who we are! So you might wanna remember it!"

"So, you're going to the imperial capital, to seek your fortune?" The first man questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yup!" Tatsumi exclaimed with a wide grin, "Where I come from, everyone dreams of making it big in the capital."

"Look, kid, the imperial capital isn't some 'perfect dreamland.'" The second man answered in a serious tone, "Sure, it's the big city, but it's been overrunned with monsters even more vicious than this earth dragon here."

"I don't get it; how can the city be full of danger beasts?" Ieysayu asked in a confused tone.

Me, "I don't think that's what they mean, Ieysayu."

""He's right! It's not 'those' monsters." The second man explained, unconsciously clenching his fists, "They're humans, but with the 'hearts' of monsters. Damn place is crawling with them."

Sayo, "Look, we appreciate the warning, but there's no way we're gonna turn back now. You see, we have a mission, to make a fortune, and save our village."

* * *

 **Plaza:**

It was still amazing to look at the capital itself. "Whoah man! The capital's even bigger than I thought!" I grinned like a child, as the three of us began to walk through the city streets.

"If things work out here, we could just 'buy' the village!" Ieysayu then spotted cute girls; I swear, the guy has the attention span of a vegetable. "Why, hello ladies..."

Sayo smacked him, "Would you stop that! We're here to find a job not to pick up girls you perv!"

Ieysu, "Ow! Ok, ok! No need to hit me!"

Me, "Yeah, but sadly that's the only way to get you're attention."

"WHAT WAS THAT?!"

Sayo, "It means you're an idiot."

As Sayo said that, imaginary arrows pierced through Ieyasu. "Ugh!"

I couldn't help but chuckle, "Well, anyway, instead of standing around let's find work and hopefully an inn to stay the night."

Sayo, "Yeah, you're right!"

Ieysayu, "OK! I'm going to find us jobs."

"Oh no you don't!"

"What?! WHY?!"

"Cause' I see cute girls in the way you're heading!"

Then, I remembered something I was told the first time around; Everyone was gloomy because they were in the slums. I didn't say anything though. "Alright, we'd better get to the barracks."

As we walked past a small cafe, we never noticed a busty blonde-haired woman sipping her tea. The woman had been listening to us the whole time, and she couldn't help but sigh as she set down her cup. "Hmm, so more country kids have been lured in by the capital's charms." The woman said, as a hidden smirk spread across her face. "Maybe I should have some fun with them."

After asking for directions, we finally found ourselves at the capital's military barracks. Noticing the large line, we patiently waited for our turn. After waiting for almost two hours, we finally found ourselves at the front of the line. ""So, you'd like to enlist, would you?" A rather bored looking officer asked, handing me a form. "Alright, just fill out the form and bring it back to me."

I picked it up to sign, but Ieysayu snatched it from me. He was not pleased with what it said. "Wait wait wait wait wait. This says we'd be starting as privates!?" Ieysayu said, earning a groan from the officer.

"You think you're special..." The officer said in an annoyed tone.

He slammed the paper onto the desk, "We're not starting from the bottom!" The idiot then drew his axe, "We're way too good for that! We were thinking something more along the lines of, say, captain!"

The furious officer threw us out, one-by-one.

Sayo, "What gives?!"

Ieysayu growled as he turned to glare at the officer. "Hey, c'mon, can we at least take the test?!"

"There's a depression goin' on!" The officer shouted in an angry tone. "I already got more applicants than I can handle!" A tic mark formed on the officer's head, as he angrily pointed at us. "I'm not gonna waste a spot on some stupid kids!"

"Huh? A depression?" Sayo asked with a sweatdrop.

"Now get outta here! Beat it!"" The officer screamed, slamming the door shut behind him.

Me, "Way to go, genius!"

Then, a voice I recognized from the first time around, Leone, "Hellooo!"

"What's with the long face there, little guy? It'll be alright; Big sis is here to cheer ya' up!"

I leaned my head back to get a better look at the woman behind me. The first thing I spotted was the woman's large breasts; which were barely being held in place by her black tube top. "UUUUUUUGGGGHHHH!"

Iesayu was being the pervert he was, "I think I love this place..."

Sayo, "Seriously?!"

However my eyes widened when I got a look at the her face. She was the woman who died in a pool of her own blood from my past.

Leone, "Hm? Try to focus here, buddy."

"Sorry!" She shook me out of my memory; It really messed with my head for a moment.

"Soo, lemme guess; You came in from the countryside in search of fame and fortune, didn't you?"

"How'd you know that?" Ieysayu asked in a shocked tone.

Sayo followed, "Is it really that obvious?"

"I've lived here for a long time; by now, it's super easy to spot new faces." The woman replied, placing her hands on her hips, "Hey. I know the secret to becoming an officer in the army super-quick."

"Tell us!" Ieysayu exclaimed, as he lit up in excitement.

"Ya really wanna know?" The blonde asked, earning several rapid nods from him. "Well, first, ya gotta treat me to lunch..." The blonde woman flashed us a smile that made my heart beat even faster than before.

Me, "You do it, Ieysayu. I'm gonna keep trying to sign us up."

Sayo followed me, "Good luck."

"Are you crazy?! We don't have time to start as privates in an infantry!" Too late; we already walked in. Ieysayu turned back to the blonde, _"She IS beautiful."_ he thought, as a slight blush and perverted smile spread across his face. _"I guess I can buy her lunch if she's willing to help me."_

* * *

 **Five Minutes Later; Bar Down the Street:**

The woman was drinking so much beer, I'm surprised she wasn't drunk yet. "HaHa!" The blonde cheered, as she slammed her empty mug of beer down onto the table. A ruddy red blush covered the buzzed woman's face. "Man, never too early in the day for some hooche, am I right? *Burp*" The blonde exclaimed, leaning forward in her seat; giving Ieysayu a very generous view of her exposed cleavage. "Go ahead, drink up...there's still a little more left..."

Ieysayu, "Look, just forget the drinks and tell me how to become an officer!"

"Yeah, well, about that...uuuhhh..." The woman said, as she poured herself another drink, "First you're gonna need a lot of money."

"Money?" Ieysayu repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"You see, I just happen to know someone in the army. He could hook you up, if you make it worth his while."

"Okay then, let's see..." Ieysayu took out "my" sac of reward money from staying danger beasts, which he took from me earlier; I didn't notice until I had to pay for the actual enlistment—I got thrown out again because my wallet didn't have enough for all three of us. "Will this be enough?"

"Woo! What do we have here?"

"It's just some reward money Tatsumi made killing a class one danger beast. No biggie."

"Mhm, he's a big guy...you might just jump straight up to captain."

"Yeah?! Let's hope so!"

"Four-fifths of this should do it, I think." The blonde woman said, making her way towards the bar's exit. As the blonde walked, she put a considerable sway in her hips. "I think this meeting has given us both an educational experience, kid. Bye now. I'll go talk to him now. You just wait right here." The woman gave Ieysayu a sultry wink before she walked out of the bar.

"See ya!" Ieysayu managed to say in an excited tone, as he waved to the leaving woman. "I see. So connections are important here." As my childhood friend sat at the table, he didn't notice the bartender shaking his head in disappointment.

 _"Those kids are quite the lookers, but they won't last another day in this city."_ The woman thought, as she walked out of the bar; with my money slung over her shoulder.

 **Ten Hours Later:**

At the end of the day, we met at the restaurant, only to discover what Ieysayu had done.

"Hey, buddy! I'd like to go home some time tonight, y'know!" The bartender said, as he finished wiping down a table.

"Oh, I-I'm just waiting here for somebody." Ieysayu said, turning to face the bartender.

I was shocked, "Ieysayu, you didn't!"

"Yeah, sorry to tell ya this, son," The bartender said, "but she took your money and ran."

"WHAAAAAAT!?"

"Don't you know better than to just hand some stranger everything you've got?" The bartender said with a shrug of his shoulders.

"We gotta go find her!" Ieysayu exclaimed, as gathered up his belongings. "Which way did she go?!"

"Don't waste your time..." The bartender said, stopping Ieysayu dead in his tracks. "It's your own fault you got scammed."

I ended up having to pay for the meal, clearing out my wallet. "Argh, this totally sucks!"

Sayo slapped him, "That was every penny we had, Ieysayu!"

"Damn that rack! No wait, better yet, damn that girl! You can't just hand something to someone you just met!"

Ieysayu, "None of the people back at the village are such liars!"

"In case you haven't noticed, this isn't the village."

"*Sigh*I guess that was my 'educational experience'."

My anger started to ebb away when I remembered the memory of the blonde woman shot to death. "*Sigh* _Even if she robbed me, I don't want that to happen to her. I hope she's alright."_ Sayo and Ieysayu walked away from each other; and me.

* * *

I decided to rest where I was. With an annoyed huff, I pulled out a black winter jacket. "I guess...I'm sleeping outside. Don't really have a choice, do I."

Just then, a carriage stopped in front of me, after I had just shut my eyes. "Stop right here!" A blonde girl around my age stepped out. The young girl obviously came from a rich family if her clothing was any indication. "I don't think that boy has a place to stay...the poor thing." The girl said to one of her guards.

"Are we really doing this again, my lady?" The guard asked, avoiding the young girl's gaze.

"You know can't help it; this is just the way I am." The girl said, as she walked up to me, "Excuse me."

 _"Great; the torturer!"_

"Uhm, if you need some place to rest your head tonight, you're welcome to come home with me." The girl offered with a warm smile.

 _"Why me?!_ Uh, thanks but I'm broke."

"Well if you weren't, you wouldn't be here, now would you?" The girl said with a short giggle.

"Lady Aria has a bit of a weakness for helping those with nowhere to go." The first guard said, placing his hands on his hips.

"You really should accept her offer." The second guard said, as he felt a chill run down his spine. _"If this kid knew what was in store for him, he'd run like a bat out of hell."_

I was still hesitant, "Look, I just met you...meaning I don't even know you. How can I actually trust you?"

Aria, "Pretty please."

I sighed as that one got to me, "Okay, fine." I said, as I rubbed the back of my head. The girl seemed nice enough, but so did the woman from earlier. But she was offering me a place to sleep, and the thought of a bed to sleep in was too tempting. "It's better than sleeping out here, I guess."

"Great!" Aria said, helping me onto my feet, "Let's go home."

* * *

"W-Wow." I knew that the girl came from a wealthy family, but I was blown away when I stepped into Aria's home; it was more like a mansion then a house. The foyer alone was massive enough to fit a normal-sized house inside it. I was blown away by all the priceless items scattered throughout the house.

"Ah, looks like Aria has brought home another guest." Aria's father said, turning to look at me.

"Well it's her way." Aria's mother said with a warm smile. "How many does this make it now?"

Aria, "Mother...!"

 _"Those older guards must be must be really strong..."_ I thought, as I observed the guards stationed around the large manor. _"They could only be kind to complete strangers like me because they have experienced guards."_ I smiled and let out a sigh of relief. _"This at least tells me why I wasn't able to know on the spot._ Thank you so much for taking me in!" I exclaimed, bowing to show my appreciation; though, I remembered what she would've done to my friends, so I was still concerned.

"Oh, it's quite alright. Please make yourself feel at home." Aria said with a smile.

"Yes ma'am!" I said, continuing to bow to my hosts. "I...uh actually have a favor to ask you."

"Well what is it my boy?" Aria's father asked, gesturing for me to take a seat across from him. After I explained my situation, Aria's father leaned back in his seat. "I see. You want to join the army to help save your village."

"Yes." I said, nodding my head.

"What a wonderful dream." Aria said with a small smile.

"However...you should know. Though the capital is peaceful, three sides of this country are flanked by hostile tribes. You will likely be sent to the border to fight them." Aria's father explained, clasping his hands in his lap.

"I'm prepared for that." I said, clenching my fists.

"I must say I admire your courage young man. That's youth for you." Aria's father said with a smile.

"Did you come from village alone, Tatsumi?" Aria asked, causing me to gaze at the floor.

"Actually, I left the village with two of my friends, Sayo and Ieyasu." I replied, as my hand wandered towards the gift the village chief had given me before we left. The chief had said the idol would grant me God's protection. "We trained for months, and were ready to all join the army together. But we argued after Ieysayu gave 'my' reward money to a complete stranger, just because she was a 'cute girl.'"

"Oh my, that's awful." Aria's mother said, as she gasped slightly.

"They're both strong, so I'm not too worried." I said, my hand tightening around the idol in my shirt pocket. "It's just that Ieyasu still can't even navigate his way through a paper bag."

"I see!" Aria's father said, as he slapped his knee. "I'll have a chat with one of my friends in the military. Then we'll try our best to find your friends."

"Thank you so much!" I exclaimed, standing up and bowing once again.

"My hunches are usually pretty spot on." Aria said with a warm smile, causing me to turn and look at her. "I'm sure you'll be reunited with your friends very soon."

"Miss Aria..." I said with a slight blush dusting across my face,

"Alright..." Aria's father said, as he stood up from his seat. "Why don't we call it a night."

"Uh...is there anything I can help with while I'm here?" I asked, causing Aria to clap her hands excitedly.

"Oh! You can be my bodyguard tomorrow, along with there others!" Aria cheered.

"That sounds good to me." Aria's father said, turning to a nearby guard. "Gauri, I'll leave this to you."

"Understood sir." Gauri said with a salute.

"You, for everything you've done for me today..." I exclaimed, earning a smile from Aria's mother.

"We're happy to help. Now you pay it forward to some else too." Aria's mother said with an almost creepy smile.

"I sure will!" I said, just as one of the guards arrived to escort me towards my room. Once I found my room, I quickly climbed into bed. _"I'm so screwed...Keep yourself together, man! I need to keep them from becoming aware that I know."_

* * *

 **The next day:**

"Hurry! Let's go the next shop!" Aria cheered, pointing out another store just up ahead.

"Please wait, Miss Aria!" The guards, who were carrying her numerous purchases, exclaimed as they lagged behind.

"Tch, looks like we'll be staying home next time." The guard standing next to me said.

"Aria sure bought a lot..." I replied as convincingly as I could, as I stared at the mountain of boxes with wide eyes, "The amount is utterly ridiculous."

"It's not just Miss Aria." The guard explained, watching Aria enter another store, "All young girls are like this."

"Really? The ones I know pick out their clothes right away." I said in a false confused tone.

"Never mind that. Look up." The guard said, gesturing towards the palace that towered over us, "It's the royal palace."

"It's freaking huge!" I exclaimed, finally getting a good look of the imposing building, "That's where the emperor lives?!"

"No..." The guard said, causing me to raise an eyebrow in concern. "Not quite...True, the emperor lives in the palace, but he is but a child. He is being manipulated from the shadows by the minister. He's the one responsible for all the corruption and decay of this once great country." The guard's eyes shifted around to make sure no one was watching, "You best watch what you say around here. They'd have our heads if they heard us talking like this."

"Then..." I said through grit teeth, as I tightly clenched my fists(It still bothered me)"The heavy taxes that are plaguing my village are also..."

"Are common knowledge in the capital..." The guard, as he pointed over towards a nearby wall, "There's also those guys we have to worry about." my eyes followed where the guard was pointing. Attached to a nearby brick wall were several wanted posters. My eyes widened when I saw one of the posters for a girl named "Akame".

"Night Raid, huh?" I asked, turning to face the guard I was with.

"They're a group of assassins who have been terrorizing the capital." The guard explained, as I glanced at one of the posters, "As the name suggests they mainly attack at night. They target high ranking government officials and wealthy families. So you best be on your guard."

"No problem." I said, trying my best to sound confident and determined, _"I'll run into Akame and Night Raid very soon."_

"But, for the time being..." The guard said, as he tapped my shoulder, "Let's do something about that." I turned around to see the other two guards struggling to hold up a massive box.

"Oh, great!" I exclaimed in an annoyed tone.

* * *

 **Several Hours Later:**

Night had once again descended upon the capital, and almost everyone in Aria's home was fast asleep. Everyone but Aria's mother. The older woman hummed to herself, as she walked through one of the manor's hallways. "Now then...time to write today's journal entry." Aria's mother said, as she held her small journal close to her chest. "Heh, I just can't seem to quite this hobby..." Before the woman could say another word, her entire world went blank. "Huh?" In that instant Aria's mother saw that she had been cut clean in half at her midsection. Blood sprayed from her severed torso, coating the walls and her unknown attacker. The older woman died before the top half of her body even hit the ground.

The assassin, revealed to be a busty purple-haired woman(Sheele), swiped her large scissor-like weapon( **Extase** ); spreading the blood that coated it across the hallway. "I'm terribly sorry." The purple-haired woman said, as she bowed her head.

It was at this moment that I shot up in my bed. A chill ran up the my spine, as I quickly scrambled out of the bed. _"What the? There's an intense sense of bloodlust in the air..."_ I rushed to get dressed, grabbing my sword as I bolted out of my room. As I raced through the mansion's halls, the guard's words about Night Raid echoed in my mind. _"I didn't remember that I'd run into them this quickly!"_ I came to a skidding stop when I spotted several shadowy figures, standing on what appeared to be wire threads( **Crosstail** ), outside one of the manor's windows. _"There's no doubt. That has to be Night Raid!"_ I clenched my fists, as I stared at the silhouetted assassins. When I lowered my gaze, I spotted several guards running out to face the assassins. _"What do I do? Help them fight the guards...or guard the family?!"_ Then, I noticed a pale figure in black clothing headed towards the storage shed; I knew who it was already. _"Quan Chi!"_

"Heh, three guards. They're our targets as well." A green-haired man(Lubbock)said with grin, "Akame, they're all yours."

"I will eliminate them all." Akame said, as she leaped off the wires she was standing on. The dark-haired girl crashed into the ground a few feet in front of the three guards; her hand immidiately reaching the hilt of her sword( **Murasame** ).

"Okay guys...whatever you do don't let her sword touch you, no matter what!" The head guard yelled, as he lead the other two guards in a charge towards Akame.

"Eliminate." Akame muttered, before she shot forward at a blinding speed. In the blink of an eye, Akame had unsheathed her sword and slashed the lead guard's throat; blood spraying from his wound. Before the next guard had a chance to react a large spear( _Neuntote_ )punctured his chest. A large armored assassin(Bulat)walked up to the guard, and withdrew the spear from his chest.

"This...is what I deserve..." The lead guard managed to say, as he felt poison race through his body. As the poison spread, ink black marking spread across the guard's body, "For having a...rotten soul..." The guard collapsed as the poison reached his heart, causing it to instantly shut down.

"W-What th-the..." The last guard said, looking in horror. Deciding that fighting wasn't a possibility, the guard turned tail and started to run away, "Fuck this! These guys are way worse than any monster!" The man didn't make it three steps before he was shot in the back of the head.

"Pathetic." A petite pink-haired girl(Mine)said, as she lowered her still smoking gun( **Pumpkin** ). The girl's eyes were hard, as she glared at the dead guard, "Deserting your comrades under enemy fire."

"Ah, I think that was just plain old running away." The green-haired man said with a sweatdrop.

In another part of the mansion, another assassin was finishing off her target. The busty blonde-haired woman I had met the previous day—Leone—was holding up Aria's father by his throat. However now the woman's hair had elongated, she had catlike ears on top of her head, a tail swayed from side to side behind her, and her hands had become covered in fur with sharp claws( **Lionelle** ); her grip slowly tightening around the man's neck as the seconds ticked by. "S-Spare me...P-Please...I-I have a daughter..." Aria's father struggled to say, as the blonde woman's grip continued to tighten around his neck.

"Don't worry. You'll be meeting her in hell soon enough." The woman said, raising her head to reveal slitted golden eyes.

"Not my daughter too...have you no mercy?" Aria's father asked, just as the blonde woman snapped his neck with her bare hand.

"Mercy?" The blonde parroted with a sadistic glint in her golden eyes, "That's a word I've never heard before. You'll have to explain what it means when I see you in hell some day."

* * *

 **Storage Shed; Just Outside of the Mansion:**

"Miss this way!" A guard yelled, as he pulled Aria towards the storage shed.

"W-What's going on?" Aria asked in a frightened tone.

"We must get you inside the storage shed, you'll be safe inside there!" The guard exclaimed, as the shed came into view.

"Miss Aria, I finally found you!" The guard and Aria turned around to see me behind them; panting heavily from running the whole way there, in pursuit of Quan Chi.

"Tatsumi!" Aria exclaimed, as a look of relief spread across her face.

"Perfect timing!" The guard shouted, pointing at me, "We'll seek shelter in the storage shed, and you stay out here and hold the enemy until the authorities arrive."

"That's the worst fucking idea I've ever he-" I was cut off when I heard someone land directly behind me. Spinning around, my eyes widened when I saw the dark-haired girl with red eyes, "...Oh fuck me." The girl, who I already knew was named Akame, unsheathed her sword and shot forward, "I guess I have no choice!" I yelled, as I too took out my sword. But as I prepared to attack, the images from my past replayed in my mind, _"You promised me! You said you'd survive!"_ My stance faltered when I remembered the pain in Akame's voice, the tears pouring from her eyes. She looked absolutely devastated that I had died. This girl obviously was very precious to me, as I was to her, and I couldn't bring myself to hurt her.

"Not a target." Akame's monotone voice snapped me from his thoughts. The dark-haired girl leaped into the air, looking like an angel of death, and used my back as a springboard. I quickly spun around, and saw Akame sprinting towards the guard and Aria.

"Shit! She's coming this way!" The guard yelled, as he pulled out his gun. Loading a fresh clip into the weapon, the guard opened fire on Akame. However the guard could only stare with wide eyes as he watched Akame dodge all of his bullets.

"I will eliminate..." Time seemed to slow down for Akame, as she approached her targets. She quickly ducked and dodged the speeding bullets being fired at her. Once she was close enough, Akame horizontally slashed her sword; decapitating the guard protecting Aria, "...all targets." Aria could only cower away, as Akame approached her. "You will be buried as well." Tears formed in Aria's eyes, as she prepared for the finishing blow.

"Wait!" I yelled at Akame. I didn't want to hurt the girl, but I had to keep her away from Aria some how.

"You're not one of my targets, so there's no reason to go out of my way and kill you too." Akame said with a deadpanned look.

"But you want to kill this girl right?!" I asked, protectively stepping in front of Aria.

"Yep." Akame simply said.

"Your couldn't have said it differently?!" I replied in an annoyed tone. I continued to stare Akame down, as the air filled with tension. I didn't want to hurt this girl, maybe I could convince her to leave Aria alone, because I knew by instinct that the real culprit behind what Aria did was Quan Chi, "Listen Akame..."

"How do you know my name?" Akame demanded, as she glared at me. The dark-haired girl tightened her grip on her sword, as she leveled it on me.

"There's wanted posters of you spread all over the city." I replied, earning a nod from Akame, "H-Have we ever met before, because I swear I've seen you before."

"No, we've never met." Akame said, her tone emotionless, "Like you said, the city is littered with wanted posters with my image on them. That's likely where you've seen me before."

"No...no...I'm talking about before I came to the capital." I explained, lowering my sword slightly.

"Hmm, like I said I've never seen you before." Akame said, her sword never moving, "However I did notice that you faltered slightly when I first arrived. Was that because you believed we had met before?"

"Kinda..." I replied, in a confused tone, "It's hard to explain really...I don't fully understand it myself either..."

"Listen." Akame suddenly said, cutting me off, "If you don't move out of my way, I'll just have to kill you too."

"I don't want to hurt you Akame, but I can't run away now!" I exclaimed, as I raised my sword again.

"I see..." Akame said, her eyes hardening, "Then I will bury you as well."

 _"I'm so fucked."_ I thought, gulping audibly.

Fight

As Akame and I continued to stare each other down, the Leone exited the mansion. She shook her hands to try and get the blood off them however. However the blonde stopped when she saw Akame staring down one of her opponents.

"That's odd...it's not like Akame to not be finished yet." The blonde said in a confused tone, as she continued to approach Akame. Her eyes widened when she saw who Akame was fighting; me. The blonde face palmed when she saw that I, whose friend she had swindled money from the other day, was fighting Akame. "Are you serious? Shit, that kid has some seriously bad luck."

 _"After what I saw earlier...there's absolutely no way I can beat her."_ I thought, my grip on my sword tightening, _"But I can't worry about that now...If I can't save this little girl..."_ Akame and I both sprinted forward at the same time. Our swords clashing when they met in the middle. I gritted my teeth, as I struggled against Akame's strength. Sparks flew off the clashing swords, as they grinded against each other, _"There's no way I can save a whole village."_ The two of us fighters broke away, and almost immidiately clashed swords again. I was stunned by Akame's incredible speed—even though I saw it before—I was having a hard time tracking her movements. Seeing a possible opening, I slashed horizontally at Akame. However Akame was prepared for this. She jumped over my attack, and kicked me in the chest. The I went sliding back from the force of Akame's kick. Before I could fully recover, Akame was on top of me again. Reacting quickly, I rolled out of the way and tried to kick Akame's legs out. But again, Akame was ready and dodged my attack. Knowing the Akame would dodged, I tried catch Akame off guard with a punch. However my eyes widened when Akame spun around in the air, and grabbed ahold of my fist. With a grunt, Akame hurled me back towards Aria.

 _"Hmm, he's not too bad."_ Akame thought, as she landed back on her feet, _"Most opponents would have fallen already. But I must end this quickly."_ Readying her blade, Akame shot forward. I was still recovering from being thrown, so I had no time to defend myself. I gasped when I felt Akame's blade strike my chest.

Akame wins-Flawless Victory

"Tatsumi!" Aria yelled in alarm, as she watched me collapse to the group. However Akame kept her distance from me.

"Heh." I laughed, as I slowly got back onto my feet. I smirked when I saw Akame standing several feet away from me. "So you won't approach me even if I've dropped my guard."

"I didn't feel my blade bite flesh." Akame said, as she watched me reached into my shirt.

"My friends from the village have protected me." I said, pulling out the idol that the chief had given. The idol was almost completely broken after being struck with Akame's sword.

 _"Hmm, that kid is facing Akame and her blade, and is still alive."_ The busty blonde thought, as she watched the fight unfold, _"That kid sure can hold his own. Maybe it's time I jump in, and repay this kid."_

"Rest in pieces." Akame said, as she ran forward with her sword prepared to strike me down.

"Wait a minute, Akame!" I shouted, waving my hands defensively, "Is this family the ONLY culprit?", My words fell upon deaf ears as Akame prepared to go in for the kill, _"It's no use! She's not listening to a word I say!"_

"Hold it." my eyes widened when I saw a Leone grab ahold of Akame, "Cool your jets, Akame."

"What are you doing, Leone?" Akame asked, leaning her head back to look at Leone.

"We still have some spare time, don't we?" Leone asked, looking up to smile and wink at me, "Besides I owe this kid. So let me pay him back."

"HEY! Your that big titted-" I yelled when I recognized who the blonde woman was; I was still mad at her.

"Yes, I'm that pretty lady you met the other day." Leone said with a sickly sweet smile. The blonde woman let go of Akame, and walked towards the storage shed. "Listen kid. You were worried about us hurting an innocent girl..." When Leone reached the storage shed's locked door, she swiftly kicked it open. "...I wonder if you can still say that after seeing this." Leone stepped aside, so that I could look into the opened storage shed. "Take a good hard look." I walked up to the storage shed, and gazed inside...The storage shed was filled with mutilated human bodies, most of them hanging from the ceiling and missing limbs. The entire building reeked of decaying bodies and human waste. "This is the dark side of the capital."

"Wha-What the hell is this?!" I said, almost to stunned and disturbed to speak. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from the disgusting display before me; Quan Chi's dirty work.

"These people would invite in no name people from the countryside with their sweet offers...and then play with them by torturing them to death." Leone explained, crossing her arm underneath her chest. "This is the true nature of those 'innocent' people you wanted to defend.", just as Aria tried to sneak away into the woods. "Where do you think you're going? You're asking for way too much if you think you can run away, little missy."

"The family that lives here did this?" I asked in an emotionless tone.

"Yes. And their guards kept silent about it, so they're just as guilty." Leone said, as she held onto Aria to keep her from escaping.

"S-She's obviously lying!" Aria pleaded, struggling against Leone's grasp. "I never even knew this place was here. Are you going to believe me, the one who saved you, or them, Tatsumi?!"

"Hmph. I already knew..." I surprised them by saying it, "I just needed to act surprised, so I wouldn't raise any alarm."

"And what the hell is wrong with that?!" Aria shouted, slapping Leone's hand away. "You were all just useless country bumpkins! You're no better than livestock! I can treat you any way I want!" Aria had an almost demonic look on her face, as she continued her rant...until I slapped her in the face.

"Let me ask you this, Aria. Did you just happen to decide to do this? Or was there someone else involved? Where did your hatred of country people even start?"

I think I scared her, "A country man...A country man killed my brother." She shakily pointed to a grave, before she collapsed onto the ground. "I know this...because...a pale-white man told us..."

"So you figured it out on your own, Tatsumi." Quan Chi stepped out of the shadows, "You still are...a clever boy."

Leone, "Do you know him?"

Me, "Unfortunately, yes. Tell me, Quan Chi; why?"

"To try and turn you back, of course. It only happens after you die."

"I already told you...I don't serve the Netherrealm."

Fight

Quan Chi summoned numerous, demonic minions, until he slashed me twice with his own broadsword. I, immediately, countered his next attack with two hammer-fists, a double hammer-fist, and an uppercut. I then drew my sword and slashed him nine times, before performing my X-Ray move.

Tatsumi wins

"I figured you were behind it all along."

The demons from earlier tried to do a sneak attack on me. "Stay down." I bisected all of them with on swing of my sword.

"Let's go, Leone." Akame said, turning to leave.

"Say, why don't we take these kids with us?" Leone asked, as she walked up to me. "Homebase is always short staffed." Leone grabbed the back of my shirt, and began to drag me off. "This one; He's lucky, brave, and you must agree that he's got talent. And, besides, she's already seen my face."

"I will agree that he is a skilled fighter." Akame said, glancing back at the kicking and screaming me.

"Ow! Watch it!" I screamed, as I struggled against Leone's grasp.

* * *

 **Two Minutes Later:**

"You're finally back." The armored assassin commented, as Leone and Akame approached.

"We better get out of here soon." The green-haired boy said, as he held up a watch.

"You're both late!" The pink-haired girl shouted, crossing her arms over her chest. "What the hell were you doing?!" However, the pink-haired girl quirked an eyebrow when she saw Me and Aria. "Who the hell are they?"

Me, "Well, this is awkward."

"We don't have much time to explain, but he's our newest comrade." Leone said, causing the pink-haired girl's eyes to widen. "She, on the other hand, needs someone in the revolution to look after her. Bulat, you'll have to carry Tatsumi so he can keep up with us."

"Don't worry, everything will be better soon." Bulat said, as he picked me up.

"Operation complete. Let's return to base!" Akame exclaimed, as she raced across the rooftops with the rest of Night Raid behind her.

 _"What a turn of events. I wonder what's going to happen to me."_ I thought, as I felt the cool air rush over my body. As I was carried across the capital's rooftops towards Night Raid's base, I couldn't help but feel that the dark future had gotten just a little bit brighter.


	3. Chapter 3: Tatsumi 2

**Kill the Country: Tatsumi 2(Part 1)**

I sat outside; I was worried about Sayo and Ieysayu. It had already been three days since we split.

* * *

Flashback:

Sayo, "Let's make a pact; that when we die, we die together!"

Ieysayu, "We're gonna be leaders in the imperial capital...!"

Me, "And make enough money to save our village; we'll be heroes!"

* * *

So much for that; Now, I was out there all alone. Neither my team, nor my childhood friends were there with me. I had to start from square one, all over again. Aria was already taken in—and adopted—by members of the revolution, while I was about to join Night Raid. Then, I felt a pair of soft objects land on my head. Looking up, my eyes widened when I noticed Leone's large breasts were resting on my head.

"Whoa!" I exclaimed, quickly backing away from the busty blonde. "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"So...have you made your decision? Are you gonna join team?"

"I told you guys..." I was cut off when Leone wrapped her arm around my neck, and began to poke my cheek. This action caused a blush to spread across both of our faces. "I think you have a real knack for this though...you have the talent needed to become a great assassin." Leone said sweetly, as she pinched my cheek. "I guarantee it."

"It's not that I don't believe in my skills..." I began to tapper off near the end, eventually just murmuring to myself. "I just don't...like killing people."

She ended up dragging me, her arm still around my neck. "Well, I'm gonna introduce you to the guys anyway."

"Hey, watch it...Ow, my neck..."

* * *

 **Inside Night Raid's base:**

"Oh, so you haven't decided if you want to join yet?" A busty purple-haired girl said, as she placed her book down on the large table she was sitting at.

"I'm pretty sure I'm gonna join, but I'm not one hundred percent sure yet." I replied, rubbing the back of my head.

"Sheele, why don't you give him some warm words, you know help him make up his mind." Leone said with a smile, as she patted my back.

"Well, since you already know the location of our secret hideout, if we can't convince you to join us, then you'll be dead." Sheele said, adjusting her glasses slightly.

"Uh, is that supposed to be encouragement or a threat?!" I said with a deadpanned expression.

"You should really consider joining. It'll be nice to have a new face around here. Just give it plenty of thought, okay." Sheele said, flashing me a warm smile before she returned to her book. However, I quirked an eyebrow when I spotted the title of the book Sheele was reading.

 _"100 Ways to Fix Airheadedness? Oh my god, I forgot these guys are a bunch of circus freaks!"_ I thought, releasing a light sigh.

"What the hell?!" A piercing scream caused me to release another sigh, as I remembered what happened.

"Leone," Mine exclaimed, as she stormed into the meeting room. "Why'd you bring this loser back to our hideout?!"

Leone answered, shrugging her shoulders, "He's shown that he has the skills necessary, so I figured that he's one of us now."

"And did nobody bother asking for my approval!?" Mine exclaimed, before she wiped around to face me. We both immidiately locked eyes, and I soon began to sweat under Mine's intense gaze. "I won't allow it! It's obvious he's not cut from the same professional cloth as the rest of the group...I mean, just look at you!"

I release another sigh, "Did you hafta make it sting like that?"

"Awww..." Leone whispered into my ear. "Don't be mad. That's just Mine's way of saying 'Hello.'"

"Humph!"

* * *

 **Training Grounds:**

Eventually, we ended up in the training grounds near the edge of the base. As Leone led me through the training grounds, I could hear the sounds of someone vigorously training. "This area is mainly for training and letting off some steam. And look who's already working up a sweat..." Leone pointed to a massive shirtless man, who was viciously attacking a dummy with a training spear. "The guy who clearly reeks of testosterone and sweat, is Bulat."

 _"H-He's amazing."_ I thought, as I watched Bulat's graceful yet devastating movements with the training spear. _"What phenomenal spear-handling."_

Bulat said in a cheery tone, tossing his training spear to the side, "Oh...aren't you that fella we picked up the other day?"

"Uh, pardon me but we've never met." I replied, scratching my head in false confusion.

"What? Oh! This is the first you've seen me like this. I was wearing my armor." Bulat said with a smile, as he extended his hand towards me. "The name's Bulat, pleasure's mine!"

"H-Hi..." I stuttered out, nearly yelling in pain as Bulat crushed my hand with his iron grip.

"And yes, he's gay." Leone whispered just loud enough for Bulat to hear her.

"Hey now..." Bulat said, as a slight blush spread across his face. "don't give him the wrong idea, yet!"

 _"I can think of alot of wrong ideas!"_ I thought(I was shocked to remember), slowly backing away from Bulat. Leaning back, I whispered to Leone. "Please get me out of here."

* * *

 **River, South of the base:**

"It's almost time for Leone's bath." Lubbock said with a perverted smirk, as he hid in the bushes near Leone's usually bathing spot. "I'd do just about anything for a sneak peak at that smoking hot body!"

"In that case, why don't you give two fingers?" Leone said in an annoyed tone, placing a foot on Lubbock's back and pulling his arm back.

"GAAAAAAH!" Lubbock howled in pain, as Leone nearly pulled his arm out of its socket.

"Jeez, you never learn, do you?" Leone chastised, digging her heel deeper into Lubbock's back.

"Shit! I can still carry on!" Lubbock exclaimed, as he squirmed underneath Leone's boot.

"Next time, it'll be your arm." Leone whispered in a dark tone, before she turned to me with a smile on her face. "That aside, this is Lubbock...as you can see, he's an idiot." Leone suddenly picked Lubbock up by his jacket, and chucked him into the river.

"I will gaze upon your wonderful breasts one day Leone! This I swear!" Lubbock yelled, as he dragged his soaked body out of the river. As I watched Lubbock walk off, I suddenly remembered the vision of Lubbock being cut in half. I immidiately felt queasy, as the horrifying images replayed in my mind.

"Hey, you okay Tatsumi?" Leone asked, giving my shoulder a light squeeze. "Cause' you're looking a little pale."

"I'll be fine."

* * *

 **Other end of the bank:**

As the Leone and I walked down the riverbed, I began to smell what I believed to be cooking fish at first. "Ah see, there's Akame over there." My eyes widened when I saw the massive fish that Akame was grilling over a roaring fire was actually an evil bird danger beast.

"I-Is that an evil bird she's eating?" I asked, as I stared at the danger beast in awe(Once again, surprised). "Did she kill it on her own?"

"Akame may look cute, but she actually grew up in the wild." Leone explained, as the dark-haired girl turned to face us.

"You should eat too, Leone." Akame said, tossing the busty blonde a piece of meat.

"Thanks Akame!" Leone cheered, before she took a large bite out of her food.

"So...have you joined our group yet?" Akame asked, slicing off another large piece of meat.

"No..."

"Them I'm sorry, but I can't let you have any."

"I'm okay with that!" I had another deadpanned expression.

"Everyone seems to be going all out today, Akame."

"Well the boss is back." Akame said, gesturing to the other side of the large fire. I followed where Akame had pointed, and spotted a silver-haired woman. The woman appeared to be in her mid-twenties, she also had a purple left eye, with her right eye covered by an eyepatch. What really quirked my eyebrow was when Ispotted the woman's artificial right arm.

"Yo." The boss said with a small smile.

"Welcome back, boss. Did ya' bring me back anything cool?" Leone asked, walking up to the her.

"Ah, we'll talk about souvenirs later, Leone." The boss said in a dark tone, flexing the metal fingers on her mechanical arm; causing them to creak loudly. "During the job two days ago...it looks like you went over the operation's time limit?"

 _"Oh...crap!"_ Leone thought, as she stopped dead in her tracks. The busty blonde was frozen in place for a few moments, before she took off running down the river bed. Leone didn't make it ten feet, before the boss' metallic hand shot forward and grabbed the back of Leone's shirt. A sickly screeching sound rang out, as the boss slowly dragged Leone back. _"God! My ears are bleeding!"_

"I think that mechanism needs some oil." I whispered to Akame.

"It's not a good habit to enjoy fighting a tough opponent too much...you'll have to work on that, Leone." The boss said, just as Leone began to thrash around violently.

"Okay! Okay! I got it! So, for the love of God stop that horrible screeching sound!" Leone screamed, as she covered her overly sensitive ears.

"By the way, who is this young man?" The boss asked, gesturing to me as she released Leone from her grasp.

"OH!" Leone cheered, as she ran up to me. The busty blonde grinned widely, and placed her hands on my shoulders. "That's right, boss! This is Tatsumi, and I recommend him to join us!"

"Does he show the proper skills needed to be one of us?" The boss asked, leaning forward in her seat.

"He does." Leone said in a sincere tone, as she smiled down at me. "Come on Tatsumi, just give it a try!"

"What?! Is this some kind of part time job?!" I exclaimed, earning a giggle from Leone.

"The pay is really good too." Akame added, after she finished her piece of meat.

"This is totally a part time job." I said, as I hung my head.

"Akame." The boss said, standing up from her seat and swinging her jacket over her shoulder. "Gather everyone in the meeting room. I wish to discuss the results of our last mission, including anything on the boy."

* * *

 **10 Minutes Later; Night Raid's Meeting Room:**

"I see..." The boss said, as she rubbed her chin. "I understand everything now." The silver-haired woman turned her eyes to me, and extended her hand. "Tatsumi...would you like to join Night Raid?" The boss noticed my hesitation, and let a small smile grace her face. "You won't be killed if you decline. However, we'll make you work in our workshop."

"I...originally planned to come to the capital and make it big and save my village, which is in poverty..." I said, unconsciously clenching a fist. "But even the imperial capital is..."

"Tatsumi..." Bulat exclaimed with a bright smile, "The countryside is destitute because of its rotten center. Now you'll be able to uproot the rotten core, as a man!"

"Night Raid is a perfect fit for you Tatsumi." The boss said, causing me to quirk an eyebrow. "Far to the south of the capital, lies the hideout of an anti-empire fighting force, the Revolutionary Army."

"The Revolutionary Army?" It really was that long.

"They started out small, but eventually grew rapidly over time." The boss explained, pointing to a map on the wall next to her. "They, inevitably, needed a special unit to carry out covert operations. That eventually led to the creation of us, Night Raid." The boss gestured to the several Night Raid banners around the room. "Right now we're eliminating the worms festering in the capital. But if the army ever attacks, we'll utilize the mass confusion and kill the Prime Minister ourselves!" The boss tightly clenched her metallic fist. "He's our main target. There are others, but I'll leave them for another time. Although I can't give any specifics on when the Revolutionary Army will strike, I can guarantee you that we have a plan to win when they do. This country will change for sure."

"This new country, will it treat people well?" I asked, locking eyes with the boss.

"Of course it will." The boss said with a nod of her head.

"I see..." I said, raising my head and looking at the Night Raid members surrounding me. "The killing you're doing now is taking out the filth that litters the capital...you're assassins for a good cause..." I heard giggles start to break out around me. "But..." All the giggling stopped when I spoke again. My tone was low and dark. "You're technically vigilantes...still murderers...there's no way to gussy that up...any of us could die at a moments notice for our crimes..." All the Night Raid members stared at me with wide eyes. "You all have your own reasons for fighting...I want to fight so that I can rid this country of the demons that inhabit it...I want to make a country where my home village isn't impoverished, and my friends can live peacefully." I then turned to face the boss. "I will be paid, right?"

"Of course." The boss replied with a small smirk. "If you work diligently, you'll be able to save your village." The boss leaned back in her seat, as she stared at me. "I'm starting to like this kid."

"Then count me in!" I exclaimed with a determined look in my eyes.

"You might never be able to return to your village again." Mine pointed out, placing her hands on her hips.

"That's alright with me." I said, not even turning to face Mine; just moved my eye. "As long as the people in my village are happy and safe, I'm okay with that."

"Hmph..." Mine huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. No one seemed to notice the small blush that had spread over the pinkette's face. No one except me.

"It's decided then." The boss said, as she extended her hand towards me. "Welcome to our hellish path, Tatsumi." Before I could say anything, a loud grinding sound was heard. Lubbock's eyes widened, as the wires extending from the device on top of his hand began to twitch.

"Miss Najenda! We've got incoming intruders!" Lubbock exclaimed, earning a light sigh from Najenda.

"How many are there?" Najenda asked, resting her head on her hand.

"According to my barrier wires, at least eight people!" Lubbock replied, using his vast array of wires to detect where the infiltrators were. "They've all gotten really close to our hideout!"

"They must be pretty good if they managed to sniff out our secret base." Najenda said, as she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "They must be a band of mercenaries from one of the tribal groups." The silver-haired woman released a light sigh, before lighting her cigarette. "There's no other choice. This is an emergency operation. Don't let a single one of them escape alive."

 _"T-The atmosphere just changed so suddenly..."_ I thought, as the room suddenly filled with an overwhelming sense of bloodlust.

"GO!" Najenda ordered, signaling the members of Night Raid to make their assault.

I went in the direction Bulat had went. _"Now's my chance to show what I'm made of!"_

* * *

 **perimeter:**

"Hey!" I called out, sprinting to catch up with the large man. "Wait up!"

"Huh?" Bulat said, surprised to see me following after him. "Oh Tatsumi! Do wish to join me?"

"Yeah!" I exclaimed, finally catching up with Bulat. "This is my chance to prove myself to everyone, so I want to give it my all!"

"That's the spirit! You still a little rough around the edges; try to get a your body a good feel for the battlefield!" Bulat shouted with a massive grin. "Also, please call me Bro or Handsome!"

"Okay, Bro! Man it actually feels pretty good to say that!" I cheered, liking the sound of Bulat's new nickname.

"I like the sound of that!" Bulat exclaimed, flexing his muscles and flashing me a bright smile. "Well anyways, let me show you something cool. Take a few steps back!" I did as I was told, and move back several feet. " **INCURSIOOOOOO!** " my eyes widened when a set of armor began to form on Bulat's armor. It was the same armor I had seen the large man wearing when they had first met; and the same one I would wear in the future.

"Whoa! That's so awesome!" I exclaimed in awe of the armor(Yes, I was that amazed).

"Right?" Bulat said, jabbing his thumb towards his chest. "This is the **Imperial Arms** , **Incursio**."

" **Imperial Arms**?" I repeated in a falsely confused tone. "Aw who cares!? I don't really understand, but I'm seriously pumped up right now!"

"Alright!" Bulat exclaimed, pointing at me. "I'm going to assign you your first job!" I immidiately perked up when I heard this. "You think you can handle it?"

"Hell yeah! I'm ready for anything!" I cheered, causing a smile to spread across Bulat's face—though you couldn't see it at all underneath the armor.

* * *

 **Half Mile South:**

"If she's here that means Night Raid's base really is somewhere nearby." A tribal mercenary said, as he stared Akame down. The dark-haired girl stood before three tribals mercenaries. Her face was emotionless, as one of her hands rest on the hilt of her sword. "It was totally worth the few days it took to follow that blood trail and stake this place out."

"Still, she's such a cute girl." One of the larger mercenaries said, licking his lips. Akame's eyes hardened momentarily, as she tightly gripped her sword.

"Looks like we could have some serious fun after we finish her off." Another tribal said, as a wicked smirk spread across his face. "Try not to cut up her body too-" Before the mercenary could finish, Akame seemingly vanished. In the blink of an eye the red-eyed assassin had unsheathed her sword, and slashed all three of the mercenaries' throats. The three tribals stared at Akame with wide eyes, as she appeared behind them.

"You three are much too relaxed in enemy territory." Akame said in an emotionless tone, swiping the blood of her sword; splattering the blood on the ground around her. "You all should have kept your guards up. Then maybe you could have at least defended yourselves."

"*Gurgle*" One of the mercenaries tried to speak, but instead all he did was gurgle the blood that had filled his throat. Two of the mercenaries collapsed to their knees, both dying with a single thought on their minds. _"How...is she...so fast?"_

 _"Shit!"_ The last mercenary thought, clasping a hand over his throat to stop the blood that was spraying out. _"If I'm going down, I'm at least taking this bitch with..."_ The tribal raised his blade to attack Akame, but he was suddenly paralyzed. _"...Me?!"_ The tribal's eyes widened when he saw markings beginning to spread across his body. _"That blade was...poisoned?!"_

"One cut spells out your death." Akame said, before she resheathed her sword. "All I need to do in knick you and you'll die." A gentle breeze blew Akame's hair, as she turned to the forest behind her. "I should probably go check on Tatsumi." Securing her blade, Akame sprinted back into the dark woods.

In another part of the forest, another tribal raced towards the edge of the woods. The mercenary had seen several of his comrades killed, so he thought it was best to retreat. _"I can't believe the enemy detected our infiltration! I was sure we had covered our tracks better! Well it doesn't matter! But Night Raid's hideout is definitely here! That information alone has immense value! I'll escape and report what we found out to our contact in, the Empire!"_

On a cliff about a mile away, Mine released a steady breath as she tracked the tribal through the scope of her rifle. The pinkette was crouched in a patch of bushes near the cliff's edge. "He's run quite far away." Mine sighed and stood onto her feet. "I'll have to risk exposing myself if I want to hit him." The pinkette took a steadying breath, and slowed down her heartbeat. Aiming her rifle, Mine scoped in on the tribal's head. Before Mine could take her shot, she heard the bushes start to rustle behind her. _"I hope you're in position Sheele."_

"I gotcha now!" A tribal screamed, leaping out of the bushes behind Mine. The mercenary never saw the toothy grin that had spread across Mine's face. When the tribal was a few feet away from Mine, Sheele sprang into action. Springing out from behind a tree, Sheele used her massive scissors to bisect the mercenary.

"I'm truly sorry." Sheele said, as the tribal fell to the ground in two separate pieces.

"Thanks Sheele." Mine said, flashing Sheele a quick smile. The pinkette then reaimed her rifle, as a large amount energy built up at the end of the weapon. "That was a nice pinch right now. I'll reach that bastard just fine..." A massive beam of energy fired from Mine's weapon, and sped towards the fleeing mercenary. The tribal turned to see the stream of energy at the last second, before he was completely incinerated. "Damn that was a nice shot! The more of a pinch I'm in, the stronger my **Pumpkin** is."

A half mile away south, Leone's ears perked up when she heard a loud bang ring out throughout the forest. The busty blonde was sitting atop the mutilated corpse of a mercenary she had pummeled to death.

"Huh, that was Mine's **Pumpkin** just now." Leone said, releasing a light sigh. "I can't believe she use's such a bothersome **Imperial Arms**." A feral grin spread across Leone's face, as she cracked her knuckles. "My **Imperial Arms** is real simple, I turn into a beast and beat shitheads to death."

In a cave west of where Leone was, Lubbock groaned in annoyance when he saw the person that had been caught in his wires. A young dark-haired girl was strung up in Lubbock's wires; the wires slowly digging into her skin.

"I thought that the weight in my threads felt rather light, but I guess it was a girl after all." Lubbock said in an annoyed tone. _"Why does it always have to be a pretty girl?!"_

"P-Please save me! I'll do anything!" The girl pleaded, her voice full of fear and desperation.

"No can do." Lubbock said, flexing his fingers. The wires encasing the mercenary tightened, and began to tear into her skin. The girl screamed in pain, as the threads tore into her body. "I knew a man who died falling for a woman's seductions." Then, Iesayu found them.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! What the hell's goin' on here?!"

Too late; Lubbock already snapped her neck.

"Dude, why'd you kill her?!"

"She's an assassin..."

Fight

I'm not gonna give you a description of what happened, other than Lubbock ended up shattering Ieysayu's axe.

Lubbock Wins

Ieysayu, "Hey, wait up!"

The green-haired man didn't bother turning his head, "Don't try to follow me...unless you're a friend of someone I know." Lubbock paused and looked back at the dead girl, "Man! It's times like this when this job sucks!"

* * *

 **Back with me:**

 _"They aren't taking me seriously."_ I thought, as I hid in the bushes that Bulat had pointed out. _"Bro said that the enemy may try to escape through here, and that I just had to slow them down. Tch, I should be on the front lines with the rest of them. How can I prove myself to the boss if I'm stuck back here on fucking guard duty."_ My eyes suddenly widened when the bushes in front of me began to rustle. My hand slowly reached for my sword, as I prepared to ambush my possible opponent. However, I immidiately deflated when a rabbit ran out of the bushes instead of an enemy. _"I want to kill that damn rabbit for getting me all hyped up._ *Sigh* Of course I get the job for made for newbies." I said in an annoyed tone, adjusting in my hiding spot. "Are these assholes even gonna come through-" Before I could finish my sentence, a tribal mercenary burst out of treeline in front of me. "Shit!"

"So they even had a runt like you stationed out here!" The large mercenary said, as he came to a skidding stop.

"I won't let you get through here!" I exclaimed, unsheathing my sword. My emerald green eyes hardening, as I glared at the tribal. _"This is my chance to finally prove myself. I have to kill someone I hold no anger towards. If I hesitate even for a moment, I might die!"_

"Tch, don't think I'll go easy on you just because you're a kid!" The mercenary shouted, as he pulled out his own blade.

Fight

The fight ended quickly, as I did a juggle of fifteen slashes, followed by a Shaolin enhanced rapid punch, which ended up punching a hole in his chest where he heart once was.

Brutality-Tatsumi wins-flawless victory

"Suck on that...! Wait...Did I just sound like Cassie?!"

* * *

 **With Mine and Sheele:**

"I wonder if that new kid is dead yet." Mine said, walking along a fallen tree trunk.

"I don't think you'll have to worry about him." Sheele said, as she walked besides Mine.

"Huh? It's rare for you compliment someone, Sheele." Mine pointed out, quirking a pink eyebrow.

"Well he did fight against Akame and survived, didn't he?" Sheele asked, adjusting her falling glasses.

"Well I guess that's true." Mine said, as she sat down on the tree trunk. "That was pretty impressive, I'll give him that."

"Besides..." Sheele said, regaining the pinkette's attention. "According to Akame, who actually fought him, he's full of potential. If he keeps training, he has the potential to be a general."

"Akame really said that?" Mine said to herself quietly. "Maybe he's not such a newbie after all."

 **Back with me:**

"Shut up." I said in an icy tone, retracting my sword from another dead mercenary's throat. As I stood over the mercenary, some of the village chief's words rang through my mind.

 _"Always be wary on the battlefield. Your enemy may try to get you to lower your guard, but you must not fall for their treachery. It's kill or be killed during a fight, so you must always be on guard."_

"I'm not falling for your fake sob story bullshit." I spat, resheathing my sword. "I promised I'd keep my friends and companions safe, and prove to the others that I have what it takes. So your petty tricks won't work on me."

 _"He didn't hesitate even for a moment."_ Akame thought, watching the scene unfold from the treeline. The dark-haired girl had planned to intervene if anything went wrong, but she was surprised to see I did not fall for the enemy's ploy. She expected me to briefly hesitate, and give the mercenary a chance to counterattack. But instead, I finished off my opponent before he could even finish speaking. _"He's changed so much in the short time he's been with us. It seems he quickly realized that this job isn't a game, and that any wrong move could end with his death. Hmm, you've intrigued me even further Tatsumi. What's going on inside that head of yours?"_ Akame decided that it was time to finally make her presence know, so she slowly approached me; making sure she didn't startle me, because I was chock full of adrenaline and was likely very jumpy. Once Akame was sure I knew she there, she spoke up. "I'm glad to see that you're still in one piece."

"I wasn't going to let this piece of trash take me down." I said, turning to face Akame. "I wanted to show you all that I can be an effective assassin like you."

"Well you definitely did that, I must admit that I'm rather impressed." Akame said, causing me to quirk an eyebrow. "I was expecting you to fall for that mercenary's trick, and that I'd have to rush in and save you. But you proved me wrong."

"My village elder warned me to be vigilant on the battlefield, and to not fall for an enemy's sob stories." I said, locking eyes with Akame.

"Good, you must never hesitate on the battlefield. The final blow has to be swift and decisive." Akame said, briefly gazing down at the dead mercenary at my feet.

"I want to become stronger, so that I can protect those I love and to rid the capital of all the filth inhabiting it. I also want to change the future for the better." my eyes suddenly widened when I realized what I had just said. I looked to see that Akame was giving me a confused look. I immidiately became flustered, and began to rub the back of my head in embarassment. "Heheh, forget I said that last part."

"HIYA!" Both Akame and I turned to see Bulat burst of the trees next to us. "I know the enemy came running this way! Leave them to me!"

"It's already been taken care of." Akame said, surprising the large man. "Tatsumi took care of him...and two more."

"Really?" Bulat asked in a slightly surprised tone, earning a nod from Akame. "I sent him back here to keep him safe, but I guess I didn't need to worry about him after all."

"Akame?" I said, getting the dark-haired girl's attention. "Like I said before I want to become stronger...and from what I've seen you're one of the strongest people I've ever met...plus you're the only other person here who I've seen use a sword...so what I'm trying to say is..."

"You want me to train you." Akame finished, causing me to nod my head. "I think that can be arranged, but you're likely going to be training with all of us."

"I kinda expected that, but I mean outside my training with the others, I want you to personally train me." I said, my eyes full of determination.

"I'll see what I can do." Akame said, turning around and walking back into the forest. "Come on, we should head back and report everything to the boss."

Then, drama...

"Tatsumi?!"

"What took you so long, Ieysayu?"

I left him speechless, until he saw my sword and my hand covered in blood, "You too?!"

 **5 Minutes Later; Out in Front of Night Raid's Base:**

"I must say that I'm impressed Tatsumi; you killed three on your own." Najenda complimented, earning a small smile from me. Behind me, the rest of Night Raid's members were drinking and laughing; celebrating their successful defense of their base. "You definitely proved yourself in your first real battle."

"Thank you boss." I said, slightly bowing my head.

"From Akame's report, you seem to be ready—but you're still a little rough around the edges." Najenda said, lighting another cigarette. The silver-haired woman took a quick puff, before she resumed speaking. "We still need to teach you a lot of things in order for you to survive this job. So first thing tomorrow, you'll be paired up with Akame and training with her. Is that alright with you Akame?"

"Mmhm." Akame mumbled, paying more attention to the meat she was eating than on Najenda.

"If Tatsumi slacks off at all, you're free to kill him." Najenda added, causing me to have yet another deadpanned look on my face.

"Sure thing." Akame responded without missing a beat.

"What the hell?!" Ieysayu was shocked.

"Well aren't you the lucky one, getting trained by a cute girl like Akame." Najenda teased, causing me to blush brightly. "Good luck, and try not to get killed!"

"O-Of course, boss. I-I look forward to it." I stuttered out with a forced grin. "I assume you'll have me training with the others as well?"

"I was planning on that, but we'll worry about that later." Najenda replied, as she took another drag of her cigarette."Well enough talking, go join the others and have some fun."

"Yes ma'am!" I cheered, running off to join the others in their party.

"Hmm, kids got some real talent." Najenda said with a small smirk. "I just hope Akame doesn't accidentally kill him."

* * *

 _ **Yes, this one has a brutality instead of a fatality.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	4. Chapter 4: Tatsumi 2

**Kill the Authority: Tatsumi 2(Part 2)**

I was soundly sleeping in my room; finally able to fully enjoy the sensation of sleeping in an actual bed. As I slept, I never noticed Akame silently sneak into my room. The dark-haired girl walked up my bed, and gently began to shake my sleeping body. But instead of waking up, I groaned and simply rolled over in my sleep. Releasing a light sigh, Akame grabbed my mattress and flipped it over. I was immidiately sent hurdling onto the floor with a loud crash.

"What the hell!?" I screamed, throwing the mattress off my back. After getting dressed, I quickly and quietly made my way down to the training grounds. When I arrived, I found that Akame was waiting for me. The dark-haired girl appeared to be doing some stretches. I couldn't help but stare at the beautiful girl, as she went through her various movements.

"If you're done staring we can get started." Akame's voice jolted me out of my thoughts of how she would handle against Netherrealm forces.

"S-So, what are we doing f-first?" I asked, trying to control my raging blush from being caught staring.

"We're going for a run." Akame replied, doing some final leg stretches.

"That's all, we're just gonna go for a run?" I asked in a confused tone(We didn't do that the first time around).

"How do you think I can run so fast. I've done dozens of speed exercises, and I always started with a morning run." Akame explained, as she entered into a sprinter's stance. "However, we won't have to do this anymore after you can do one thing."

"And that is?" I asked, walking up next to Akame.

"Catch me." As soon as the words left Akame's mouth, the girl took off down the path ahead. In a matter of seconds Akame was already almost a hundred yards in front of me.

"H-Hey!" I screamed, as I quickly raced after the sprinting assassin. No matter how fast I ran, Akame always seemed to get farther and farther ahead of me. The my legs were burning, as I tried my absolute best to at least keep Akame in view. I chased after Akame through the winding forest; racing past trees and fallen logs. Akame appeared to almost be a blur, as she sprinted through down her usual trail. After almost a half hour, Akame finally came to a stop. Akame looked like she had barely broken a sweat; I, on the other hand, looked as if I was about to die at a moments notice. Iwas panting heavily, and my clothes were drenched in sweat. "*Pant* I...at least *Pant* managed to keep...you in *Pant* view...that whole time..."

"That's because I wasn't running as fast as I could." Akame said, causing my eyes to widen. "But after today's performance, I know we still have lot of work to do." Akame walked past me, down the path we had just ran down. "Let's head back. The next part of your training will begin once we reach the training grounds."

"Uh...Akame." I called out, getting the dark-haired girl's attention, before I collapsed onto the ground in a comical manner. "I...I don't think I can walk."

"*Sigh* I'll help you then." Akame said, supporting me against her shoulder. "We have even more work to do than I thought."

* * *

 **Two Hours Later; Night Raid's Kitchen**

"We'll need to increase our skills so that we can rise through the army's ranks."

"If we become familiar with these ingredients, we can avoid food shortages."

"Ieyasu...I'm so glad you and I learned how to cook." I thought, as I chopped up some vegetables. After my grueling morning training with Akame, which consisted of evasive and swordsmanship training after our morning run, Akame informed me that I'd be helping her preparing Night Raid's meals. "Thanks to it..."

"MORE PLEASE!" A sudden exclamation from behind caused Ieysayu's—who was also helping—left eye to twitch in annoyance.

"I'm being treated like a cook instead of an assassin!" He thought angrily, as he dished out a second helping to the waiting Night Raid members. "Damn it. Even though I'm an assassin now, I'm stuck with kitchen duty."

"It can't be helped." Akame, now wearing a pink apron, said as she popped a grape into her mouth. "I'm in charge of cooking at the base, so it's only natural that you help me while I'm training you."

"Tch, you're only the cook, so you can eat all the samples you want." Ieysayu pointed out with a deadpanned expression.

"That's not true." Akame said, popping another grape in her mouth.

"You're not doing a great job of convincing him." I said, as I returned to cutting vegetables.

"Pffft, nice apron Tatsumi." Mine laughed, causing my grip on the knife to loosen.

"What did you say?!" Ieysayu exclaimed, as we both whipped around to face Mine. However, I stopped when I saw everyone gathered around the pinkette. "What's going on? Are you guys heading out?"

"Yeah, we got a new assignment. So we're heading off to the capital." Mine explained, placing her hands on her hips.

"Thanks for looking after the base for us." Sheele said with a warm smile.

"I'm not the damn maid!" Ieysayu exclaimed in a pissed off tone.

"Haha, the newbies and Akame are watching the house!" Mine laughed, as she pointed at us. "Having fun cutting up carrots all day!" With a wave, Mine and the other Night Raid members left the room. "Ta ta!"

My train of thought was interrupted when my memory of Mine flashed in my mind.

 _"What are you saying? I'm already on the winning side. I love you."_

 _"Damn it, I wish you could show me your nice side more often Mine. I know it's in there somewhere."_ I thought, as a my eyes filled with sadness. _"You may be a bitch to me sometimes, but I still don't want you to die. Something...something happens between us that makes you fall in love with me. And that feeling is mutual."_ I then glanced over Akame, who was busy washing dishes. As I gazed at Akame, I remembered my memory of her as well.

 _"You promised me! You said you'd survive!"_

 _"Then there's Akame."_ I pondered, as I set my knife down. _"I don't want to see her cry; I made her cry before, it's not a good sight."_ I sighed, and leaned against the counter. _"What am I going to do?"_

"Tatsumi." Akame called my name. "Can you help me with these dishes?"

"Sure thing Akame." I answered, as I began to dry the dishes. The two of us cleaned the plates and other dishes in a comfortable silence for a few minutes. I didn't know why, but I always felt calmer and more relaxed around Akame. Even though we had only met recently in this timeline, I already felt I had a strong bond of friendship with the girl.

"Tatsumi, can I ask you a question?" Akame asked, finally breaking our silence.

"Lucky!" Ieysayu was disappointed, and jealous.

"Yeah, sure thing Akame." I replied, as I finished drying off another plate.

"When we first met you thought you had seen me before, or that we had previously met...Can you explain why you though that?" Akame asked, stopping and turning to fully face me.

I had frozen stiff when I heard Akame ask this. I have never been a good liar, and I knew Akame would likely see through any fibs I came up with.

"Look. I wish it were easy enough to put simply, but it's absolutely convoluted."

"If you ever want to talk with Tatsumi, I'll make time for you." Akame said, as she took off her apron. "Now come on, it's time for the next part of your training."

"What are we doing now?" I asked, tossing off my own apron.

"We're going hunting." Akame replied, as she lead me out of Night Raid's base.

* * *

 **10 Minutes Later; Mountains to the South of Night Raid's Hidden Base:**

"Hey, Akame we're getting really far from the hideout." I pointed out, glancing back at the sprawling mountains behind us. "Is it really alright for us to be out this far?"

"We'll be fine if we go a little deeper into the mountains. Actually we should be there in a few minutes." Akame said, as she pushed through the bushes in front of her, and stepped into clearing with a pristine isolated river and waterfall. "See, we're here."

"Wow. This place is really beautiful, Akame." I said, not noticing that Akame was stripping out of her clothes behind me. "How did you find this place?"

"I stumbled across it while I was hunting for supplies one day." Akame replied, as she tossed off her shirt. "Now hurry up, we're going to kill some river prey."

"What're you...WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" I exclaimed, as I covered my eyes from Akame. The dark-haired girl had shed her clothes, and was now dressed in a small white bikini. "Oh, you're wearing a swimsuit." I was relieved.

"I need to be able to move fast in the water." Akame explained, walking over to a small ledge overlooking the river. "So I shed all unnecessary clothing."

"Oh...that makes sense then." I thought, as I suddenly felt stupid for overreacting.

"We'll be hunting for Elegant Tuna. There's a lesson in all of this." Akame said, before she dove into the water.

"But...aren't those the rare monster fish that are super caut-" I was cut off when several Elegant Tuna burst out of the water, and landed in Akame's wicker basket. "What the heck!? Is she fishing with dynamite or something?!" Moments later, Akame resurfaced for a quick breath of air.

"You must dive to the bottom of the river, and make your presence completely unknown. Then when you prey is close you strike. You'll need to make snap decisions. Can you handle it?" Akame explained, before diving back under the water.

"Bring it on!" I exclaimed, ripping off my shirt and diving into the water after Akame.

* * *

 **Later That Night; Back at Night Raid's Base:**

"So..." Najenda said, taking a bite out of her Elegant Tuna. "In the end Tatsumi managed to catch eight...That's very impressive for your first time."

"Hey..." Leone said, nudging me with her elbow. "Is it true that you ripped off your shirt, and yelled 'bring it on!'?" MY face flushed red in embarassment, as Leone leaned in closer. A shiver ran down the my spine, when the busty blonde whispered into my ear. "Because if it, maybe you can give me a preview in private later."

"That's enough teasing, Leone." Najenda said, grinning at my madly blushing self. "The poor kid looks like he's about to pass out."

"I'm not teasing." Leone whispered, as she gave me one last sultry wink before she went back to eating her food. After hearing that, I turned so red, that my face was the same color as Akame's eyes.

"So Akame, how did Tatsumi do on his first day of training with you?" Najenda asked, turning to face the dark-haired girl.

"He's still a little green..." Akame said, as she stared at the Elegant Tuna head in her hands. "But Tatsumi is a very quick learner, and I have no doubt that he'll make a great assassin."

"That's great to hear." Najenda said, setting down her chopsticks. "Leone, tell me about your assignment from the other day."

"Our target is Ogre, from the capital's garrison, and an oil merchant named Gamal." Leone explained, as she clasped her hands on top of the table. "According to the client Ogre's been accepting very large bribes from Gamal. Apparently every time Gamal commits a crime, Ogre uses someone else as a scapegoat. The client's fiancé was framed for one these crimes, and put to death. He managed to overhear Ogre and Gamal while in prison, and managed to send out a letter explaining everything to her. Here's what she's paying for the job." Leone pulled out a sack full of money, and tossed it on the table.

"Wow, she sured saved up a lot." I said, staring at the pile of coins in front of me.

"I could smell a sexual transmitted disease on her." Leone said in a dark tone, as her fists clenched tightly. "She probably made that money by selling her body to any sleaze bag who would pay for it."

"Damn...she must've been desperate."

"Have you confirmed all the facts, and proved the client's claims?" Najenda asked, lightning a new cigarette.

"Yes, they're both guilty of the crimes the client mentioned." Leone replied, as she took a calming breath. "I overheard Gamal and Ogre discussing their dirty dealings from the attic over his oil shop."

"Okay." Najenda said, taking a quick drag from her cigarette. "Night Raid with accept the contract. Our new nation won't need treacherous scum like Ogre and Gamal. Deliver divine punishment upon them."

"It'll be a cinch to take down Gamal, but..." Leone said, as she began to rub her chin. "Ogre is a completely different story. He's been nicknamed the 'demon' because of his skills with a blade. Criminals around the capital know to fear him. He's usually seen with his band of lackeys. Beyond that, he usually spends most of his time in the guard house. The bribes he takes from Gamal are conducted in his private quarters. On his days off, he never strays too far from the garrison...and he usually drinks on the main street near the palace."

"Looks like our only shot is on his days off." I said, earning a nod from Najenda.

"But security around the palace is extremely tight, so we can't send Akame on this job. Her face is plastered all over wanted posters scattered around the capital." Najenda said, as she released a light sigh.

"Couldn't we just wait for Mine and the others to get back?" Akame suggested, as she looked at Najenda for approval.

"But we have no idea when they'll be finished with their job." Leone pointed out, leaning back in her seat.

"In that case..." I said, as I slammed my open hand down onto the table. "We have to carry out the mission by ourselves!"

"So, you're saying you'll take out Ogre?" Najenda asked with an amused smirk.

"*Sigh* Yes, I'll go after Ogre. Akame and Leone can take out Gamal." I said, causing Najenda to quirk an eyebrow.

"Well they don't know what I look like either, but you said you wanted to take out Ogre." Leone said with a shrug of her shoulders. "I want to see what you can really do Tatsumi. Prove to me that you can handle this on your own."

"Tatsumi..." Akame said, getting the young man's attention. When I looked at Akame, I could swear I saw worry briefly flash through her blood-red eyes. "I'll admit that you're very skilled...but the way you are right now, you won't be able to take Ogre down."

"I appreciate your concern Akame, but while we're just sitting here discussing our options...there might be more people being falsely accused by these bastards, right? So we really don't have time to wait." I said with a determined look in my eyes. "Don't worry about me, I'll kill Ogre." my eyes suddenly became filled with sadness, as I gazed at the table. "I don't want anybody else to suffer...or have their loved ones stolen from them so meaninglessly."

"Alright, it's settled then. I must say I admire your determination, Tatsumi." Najenda said with a grin, leaning forward in her chair. "You take out Ogre."

"Well said, Tatsumi!" Leone cheered, wrapping her arm around my neck, again, and pressing the side of my face into her breasts. "I love your resolve!"

"Leone and Akame, you heard Tatsumi. You both will take out Gamal." Najenda ordered, earning a nod from the both of them.

"Well, I guess I'll get ready and report back to you when I'm done." I said, as I walked out of the room to prepare for my mission.

"Just please come back in one piece Tatsumi." Both Leone and Akame thought, watching me leave the room. This wasn't missed by Najenda. Night Raider's leader had a small smirk on her face, as she put out her cigarette.

"Looks like they've both taken a liking to our little Tatsumi." Najenda thought, gazing at Leone and Akame with an amused look. "This oughtta be fun to watch."

* * *

 **The Next Night; Streets of the Capital:**

"If you go straight down here, you'll eventually be on the main street." Leone said, as she pointed at the road that was in front of me.

"Alright, I got it!" I exclaimed, clenching my fists in determination.

"Tatsumi...before you go...let me tell you a little bit about Akame's past." Leone said, immidiately gaining my full attention.

 _"This is my chance to learn more about Akame again. I don't remember much, but I might be able to better help her overcome her inner demons, if I know more about her past."_ I thought, paying full attention to what Leone had to say.

"When Akame was real little, she was sold to the empire along with her younger sister. I mean, it's pretty common for poor parents to sell their children." Leone explained, causing a sad look to spread across my face.

"So even as a child she had to endure such hardships." I thought, slightly clenching my fists.

"She then got accepted into a training program for assassins, along with other kids that were in the same boat as her. There she learned how to kill...and survived horrendous circumstances. She lived that way, carrying out any orders the empire gave her. She was a full-fledged cold-hearted assassin..." Leone continued, sending a chill up my spine. "But after each mission, Akame could feel the empire's dark intentions a little more...She was eventually given a mission to take out the boss, Akame was persuaded by her, however...Akame turned her back on the empire, and joined the revolutionary army that actually cared about its people. Most of the comrades she's grown up with..."

"What about her sister?" I asked suddenly, surprising Leone.

"Akame doesn't really like to talk about her sister." Leone said, as she rubbed the back of her head. "But, all I know is that she's still working with the empire."

"That means..." I said, as my eyes widened in realization.

"Yes. Akame even left her little sister behind." Leone said in a saddened tone. "Well...you better get going. You don't want to miss your chance to take out Ogre."

"Okay." I said, as I turned and started to walk down the street. "I'll see you and Akame later."

"Good luck Tatsumi, and happy killing!" Leone called out, before she left to meet up with Akame.

 _"Akame...I can't believe you had to leave your sister...the pain must be so hard to deal with...No, wait. I didn't want to believe...I won't give up on you Akame. I'll help you in any way I can."_ I thought, as I threw up my coat hood and began to scope out my target.

* * *

 **Brothel; Two Miles West of the Capital**

"Man!" Gamal exclaimed, wiping some sweat off his brow. The disgusting looking man adjusted his robes, as he walked back to his room. "I feel so much better after taking a leak. I think I'll have that whore get me off one more time before I go."

"Sure thing." A low voice said from the shadows next to Gamal. "I'll get you off this mortal world." Before Gamal could react a pair of extremely arms wrapped around his neck; holding him in place. The man struggled to turn his head, to see who was strangling him. "I got you now you sick fuck." Gamal's eyes widened in shock when he felt a blade pierce his stomach. The last thing Gamal saw before he died was a pair of blood-red eyes staring into his very soul. Leone chuckled as she dropped the Gamal's corpse onto the ground. "The bastard should be happy, he got two sexy babes at once!"

"I wonder how Tatsumi's doing against his target..." Akame said, as she wiped her blade off on Gamal's dead body. "I hope he's okay."

* * *

 **Main Street; Empire's Capital:**

"Ah! Nothing beats an a drink after a good lengthy interrogation." Ogre said, walking down the capital's main street. The massive man grinned, as he several people waved to him.

"Master Ogre." One of the people called out. "You did an excellent job the other day. Thank you so much for your help."

"No problem." Ogre said, waving to the man. "If you ever have a problem that needs fixing, just let me know." The corrupt man's grin turned sinister, as he continued his stroll down the street. _"I'm the king of this town...I have all of the authority...I can do whatever I want!"_

"E-Excuse me, Master Ogre." A quiet voice called out. Ogre spun around to see a hooded boy(me)standing behind him. "There's something I want to speak with you about."

"Well what is it? Out with it boy, I don't have a lot of spare time." Ogre said in an annoyed tone.

"I'd like it better if we discussed this in some place more private." I said, gesturing to a alley next to us. "Could we perhaps speak down this alley?"

"Whatever kid, just make this quick." Ogre said, as he followed me down the alleyway. Once we were both in secluded portion of the alley, I stopped. "Hmm, I don't sense any danger coming from this kid." Ogre thought, as he stared at me. "Well? Is this private enough for you?"

"Yes..." I prepared myself.

"So..." Ogre chuckled, "You think you can take me?!"

Fight

Ogre's slow movements allowed my Edenian abilities to out maneuver him—for a swift slash to his gut—before he could even draw his sword.

 _"He dared to raise his blade against me?!"_

He then got back up and tried to kill me on the spot by swinging his sword down towards me, while I blocked it with my own.

"You're with Night raid, aren't you?! Who told you...It...Was that woman right!? I already know all well! First, I'm chasing her family and I will kill them all in front of her, of course you'll die first!"

I comboed numerous juggles, chained an X-Ray after it, and then the Elder Gods themselves gave me the request to "FINISH HIM!"

I leapt into the air, using my sword to slice off both of Ogre's arms, and then I came back down, and _Sliced and Diced_ his chest.

Tatsumi wins-Flawless Victory-Fatality

"Consider how others feel...if you get a second shot at life."

* * *

 **Back at the base:**

"Nice work on taking out such a strong opponent, Tatsumi." Najenda complimented, as everyone(Akame, Leone, and Ieysayu)gathered in Night Raid's meeting room. "Very impressive indeed."

"Eh, I'd rather call it dumb luck."

Leone had her usual perky smile, "Call it whatever you like."

Akame, "You came back, without a scratch?"

"I already checked before reporting." I did that so Akame wouldn't strip off my clothes like last go round. "You don't have to worry about me so much, okay?"

She smiled warmly, "I'm so glad you're okay."

"Okay." Najenda said, as she got my attention. "I think you should probably train under Mine next."

"It's just one problem after another for you, huh?" Leone teased, lightly punching me in the arm.

 _"I might just be able to get on her good side early."_ I thought to myself.

Ieysayu whined again, "Why the hell does he get to train with the pretty ladies?!"

"You'll get your shot, buddy."

* * *

 ** _Tatsumi's first actual FATALITY...getting somewhere, right?_**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	5. Chapter 5: Tatsumi 3(W Scorpion)

**Kill the Worries: Tatsumi 3**

 _"Night Raid, they're killers, but they're bringing about a revolution._ Man, I really have found a crazy group of friends, now that I remember them, huh?"

It was late at night, and I was in bed, still worried about Sayo. Then, when I tried to sleep, Bulat's face entered my head, shocking me back awake.

 _"Why'd I dream of him of all people?!"_

I looked at the idol from my village, remembering when my friends and I were still together.

* * *

Flashback:

Sayo, "The imperial capital..."

Ieysayu, "There's a giant wall surrounding the whole city, and the canals are full of trading ships!"

Me, "There's so much to see!"

"Ehehe! And don't forget all those sexy, sophisticated, city women!"

"Oh!"

Sayo punched Ieysayu in the face, "Gross!"

Ieysayu, "Hey, what was that for?!"

* * *

 _"Sayo; even though you're a tough girl, I can't keep from worrying about you."_

* * *

 **Morning:**

Sheele came across me. "Hm? Is something the matter?"

"Huh? Oh, hey Sheele. I'm fine. I'm supposed to be training with Mine today, but she hasn't come out of her room yet."

Ieysayu was right next to me. "She's a spoiled, little brat!"

Sheele, "Yeah, well, Mine does have a habit of sleeping in."

"Seriously?! This is her job!"

"I'm so sorry for the inconvenience..."

Me, "And I can tell that apologizing is your habit, already."

"I'll wake her up now."

"No, I'll get her. After all, it is the job of the 'apprentice.'"

"Oh, okay then."

Najenda walked through the open door. "This oughtta be good."

I was about to open the door when I remembered last go round; so, I decided to knock. However, Ieysayu grew impatient.

"Man, that'll take too long." He just walked right through the door while Mine was still changing; he didn't even notice until it was too late, when I said something during this part, "Mine, you and Tatsumi better get moving, or..."

"Jeez, you could've at least knocked first!"

We stared at each other for three minutes before Mine screamed and fired **Pumpkin** at us; Ieysayu was knocked unconscious by the blast wave, but we were both still alive.

I looked at the wall and simply said "I'm gonna need to fix that, later."

Mine, "You've got a lot of nerve dodging that, you filthy pervert!"

"I'm so sorry!" And just like that, I dragged Ieysayu out the door with me. "I tried to warn you buddy."

Then he came to, and he was pissed. "Why that little..."

"Stop it, Ieysayu! You were the one who decided to walk in on a changing girl!"

* * *

 **Capital Shopping Plaza:**

I already knew what I was in for.

"So I'm finally back in the capital." I said, as I glanced at the crowds surrounding me. "Everyone still seems so sad."

"Well it makes sense, since they're under the government's boot and there is a recession going on." Mine pointed out, walking ahead of me. "Now stop looking around so much; it'll make you seem suspicious. I told you one of the reasons we came to the capital, is so that I can teach you how to be stealthy and inconspicuous. You have to blend in with the crowds, and not draw any unwanted attention towards yourself."

"You're right." I said, as I caught up with Mine. "So, is it really okay for us to be walking around in broad daylight like this?"

"Sure." Mine replied, pointing to a series of wanted posters on a nearby wall. "The only people on the wanted posters are Akame, Sheele, Bulat, and the boss. The rest of us are free to walk around the capital."

"Wait a second..." I said, as I peered at the middle poster. The man looked sort of like Bulat, but at the same time was totally different. "You're telling me that's Bro?!"

"Yeah! Now stop fucking yelling! We're supposed to inconspicuous dumbass! " Mine hissed, slapping me on the arm. Releasing an annoyed huff, Mine crossed her arms over her chest. "He changed his image after joining night raid."

"That's a pretty big change though. That looks nothing like him. This has to be the 'worst' before and after ever." I commented, as I took one last look at the wanted poster. I had forgotten what they looked like beforehand.

"*Sigh* Well now that, that's cleared up we still have a mission to complete." Mine said, crossing her arms behind her back.

"You're the boss, Mine. So lead the way." I replied in an "enthusiastic" tone.

"Alright! Are mission is check up on the capital's condition. But remember we can't be suspicious when making our observations." Mine said, turning towards a nearby shop. "If you do well, I have something special I can show you when we're finished."

* * *

 **Later:**

"Ahhhh, we sure bought a lot." Mine said with a content smile, sipping some of her tea. "I knew pink would be this spring's trending color."

"Sure thing." I said, my voice exhausted and my eyes filled with a blank stare. I had been dragged around by the pinkette for the past three hours. Going from store to store, and buying ludicrous amounts of clothes; which I was forced to carry(Though, I knew better than to complain). However, I didn't particularly dislike Mine modeling some of the outfits. I hafta admit, she did look really cute in most of them.

"Ah, it's so nice to kick back and relax every now and then." Mine said, setting down her tea cup. "Well good job Tatsumi, mission complete."

I released a heavy sigh, "Ugh! Oh, mama!"

"I figured you'd be complaining by now."

"I could, but I'm not doing that, because it's useless. Besides, I was viewing it in a different way." I then spotted a frighteningly, familiar figure; _"Scorpion!"_

Mine, "Is it me, or has that man been following us the entire time?"

"So, you noticed him too..."

"Alright, let's go." Mine said, setting down her empty tea cup. I quirked an eyebrow when she offered me her hand. "Well...What are you waiting for? Hold my hand."

"W-What?" I asked, as a slight blush spread across my face.

"Ugh, don't get all worked up. That guy's still watching us. Since I made you carry my things, it probably made you look my boyfriend." Mine said, causing my blush to darken several shades. "So, you need to hold my hand to make it look like we're a couple."

"O-Okay." I said, as I audibly gulped. I hesitantly reached out and took Mine's hand. _"Wow...I forgot her hand is so...small."_

"Now let's get out of here." Mine said, leading me down the street. The pinkette kept her face hidden, so no one would notice the faint blush spread across her face. _"Dammit, why the hell am I blushing? And why was I so nice to him earlier? He's just a newbie, and he almost blew the mission! Gah! Why does his hand have to feel so warm and comforting?!"_

"Hey, Mine, what's going on over there?" I asked, as I noticed a large crowd that had gathered to our right.

"Probably just a public execution for someone who challenged the empire." Mine replied, walking Tatsumi towards the edge of the crowd. "It's a pretty normal thing to see in the capital."

"Godamn!" It was Sayo who said that, much to my surprise.

"Sayo?! What are you doing here?"

"Well, I was searching for a job on my own and...wait, I should be asking you that!" She had a small blush on her face. Sayo then noticed Mine and started giving me a seriously hard noogie while smiling, "You lucky dog! Why didn't you just tell me you were on a date?!"

"Sayo...!"

"We're not on a date!" The pinkette didn't even let go of my hand the entire time, "You have to maintain your composure." Mine whispered, gently squeezing my hand. "People in the capital are used to seeing things like this, so they aren't affected by it anymore."

"Y-You're right." I said, as I adverted my eyes. "I have to keep calm."

"But," Sayo asked Mine while pointing at the scene of the execution, "...why is this happening in the first place?"

"It's because of the minister that things like this happen." Mine said quietly, hanging her head so that her pink locks covered her eyes. "It was thanks to his underhanded tactics that the current young emperor won his seat on the throne. But I...I definitely won't end up like them." Mine looked up with a defiant look in her eyes. "I'll definitely survive...and see this fight to its bitter end."

 _"The minister huh? He must be some kind of monster!"_ Sayo thought, before Mine tugged on my arm.

"Come on, we've seen enough of this." Mine said, leading Sayo and I back onto the main road out of the capital. Occasionally, as we walked, I would nonchalantly glance around to try and see if we were still being followed.

* * *

 **Four Hours Later; Back at Night Raid's Hidden Base:**

"Alright, I promised I'd show you something special." Mine said, leading me into a semi-hidden room near the back of Night Raid's base. Entering the room, all I saw were several human shaped targets in what appeared to be a long hallway.

"Mine, what is this place and what are we doing here?" I asked, as I watched Mine walk over to a nearby chest.

"This is our shooting range. I used it for target practice." Mine said, rifling through the chest. The pinkette smiled when she found what she was looking for. "To answer your second question, I'm going to teach you how to shoot." I was surprised when Mine pulled out a pistol, and offered it to me. "Careful with that thing; the safety's not on!"

I remembered that Cassie taught me how to shoot. So, I did what the blonde taught me.

* * *

 **Meeting Room:**

Night Raid's leader took usual seat, and began to brief everyone. "As you've all heard...we have a new target. This target is a distant relative of the minister. His name Iokal." Najenda pulled out a knife and stabbed it into the table in front of her. "He uses the minister's name to kidnap young girls and beat them to death. He has five guards who share in the leftovers; they're just as guilty as him. This is a very important mission, so everyone is in on it." Sayo, and Ieysayu's eyes immidiately lit up—Sayo in shock, and Ieysayu in enthusiasm—, but Najenda quickly stopped them. "Except for you two. I'm sorry but you're just not ready yet. Especially after what Akame reported to me. Once you've become more adjusted to your new duties, and you've had some more training, we can let you go on missions."

"I understand Boss." Ieysayu said, hanging his head in defeat, "I guess I kinda got my hopes up."

"Don't worry, you'll be ready soon enough." Najenda encouraged, before she returned her attention to the rest of Night Raid. "Alright! You know your targets! Get out there and rid the world of those scum!"

"Yes Boss!" Everyone cheered, rushing to prepare for the mission.

"Good luck Tatsumi." Sayo said with a sad smile, as she caught me before I left.

"Thanks Sayo, I'll be back in a little while." I said, pulling Sayo in for a tight hug before I went to find Mine.

Ieysayu, "What?! Again?!"

* * *

 **Three Hours Later; Ledge About a Half-Mile From Iokal's Home:**

"So that's Iokal's home, man it's crawling with guards." I commented, as I peered at Iokal's massive home through a pair of binoculars.

"I can nail him easily from here." Mine said, adjusting the dials on her scope. "I'll take his head clean off as soon as he shows his ugly fucking face."

"And I got your back after you fire the first shot." I said, as I checked my pistol to make sure it was fully load and ready. "Just leave everything to me!"

"Tch, I'm not really counting on it though." Mine said, scoping in on the house's grand entrance.

 _"Wow...she's so focused..."_ I thought, as I stared at Mine out of the corner of my eye. _"I can feel her determination form here. Mine really is an incredible assassin..."_

"I've got eyes on the target." Mine suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Alright, I'll get eyes on the target too." I said, as I raised my binoculars. I immidiately spotted Iokal leaving his home. But there was one problem. He was surrounded by a group of innocent women. "Damn...There's a bunch of non-targets around him."

"Do you trust me Tatsumi?" Mine asked, continuing to track Iokal through her scope.

"Yeah. _Most snipers wouldn't be able to nail such a shot. But...Mine's not most snipers."_

"Then shut up, and let me focus. I promise you I won't hit any innocent people." Mine said in a stern tone, her finger gently resting on Pumpkin's trigger.

Pumpkin fired. "Whoo!" I quickly raised my binoculars to track Mine's shot. I watched in awe as Mine's shot threaded the needle between of the women's heads, and hit Iokal right between the eyes. Iokal's head immidiately snapped back, as blood sprayed from the gaping hole in his head. "Holy...shi-it!"

"See...I'm a genius sniper." Mine gloated, resting Pumpkin on top of her shoulder. "Now let's get to the rendezvous point."

"R-Right." I stuttered out, still in complete amazement over the incredible shot.

Below where Mine and I were, Iokal's guards sprinted through the woods; in a desperate search for his assassin.

"No matter what, we have to find the assassin!"

"If he gets away the minister will have us executed!"

"There's no way he could've gotten that far!"

However, the guards came to a skidding stop when they encountered five people waiting for them. A busty blonde haired woman was at the front of the group; a wicked grin spread across her face. "Nice of you boys to drop in. Now it's time for you all to get wrecked!"

* * *

 **Five Minutes Later; En Route to the Rendezvous Point:**

"Ugh! This route fucking sucks!" Mine complained, as she slogged up yet another hill.

"One advantage of growing up in the mountains...Do you think the others took out all of our pursuers?" I asked, following closely behind Mine.

"Those guards were trained at the Temple of the Imperial Fist. So the others may have a little trouble taking them out." Mine said, as she ducked underneath a low hanging branch.

"You're talking about the number one kung fu temple in the empire, right?" I asked, _"That's nothing compared to the Lin Kuei, I know for sure."_ When we reached small cliff, I quickly got onto my knees, and gave Mine a boost up.

"Well I guess when you're related to the minister you can afford badass bodyguards." Mine replied, as climbed up the ledge. "Iokal could get away with anything he wanted, because of his blood ties. That's what pissed me off the most about him."

 _"Mine...I wondered what happened in your past..."_ I thought(My memory on everyone's pasts was still bits and pieces at best), climbing up the ledge behind Mine.

"Well since you've been so good today, I think I'll tell you a little bit about my past." Mine said, as she took a deep breath.

 _"Man, talk about convenient."_ I thought with a sweatdrop.

"I was born near the nation's western border." Mine revealed, her eyes getting a faraway look. "I'm actually half tribal. In town I was mocked and ostracized. Nobody would accept me. It was truly a wretched childhood."

 _"Mine..."_ I thought, as I stared at the pinkette with saddened eyes.

"But...the revolutionary army is allied with the tribes to the west." Mine continued, tightly clenching her fists. "When we make our new nation, diplomatic relations will finally open. More people of mixed blood will enter the empire...and there won't be anymore children who have to suffer the way I did...I won't let anyone discriminate me!"

"Mine..." I muttered, as I re-saw the pinkette in completely new light.

"But when the revolution is over, I'll receive a ton of compensation and retire a celebrity!" Mine exclaimed, letting out a loud, cocky laugh.

 _"And there's the old Mine..."_ I thought, as I hung my head in defeat. I picked it back up, and smiled. _"I promise you; that will never happen again."_

* * *

 **With the Other Night Raid Members:**

With a loud crunch, Leone broke the jaw of the last remaining guard. Pouncing on the battered and dying man, Leone quickly snapped his neck. When Leone got off her prey she let out a content sigh.

"Ah! I feel so refreshed!" Leone cheered, wiping the blood from her claws. "I had a lot of pent up aggression!"

"They were pretty strong!" Sheele commented, as she slung her scissors onto her back.

"It's quite odd..." Akame said, scanning over the bodies of the dead guards. "Wasn't there supposed to be five guards?"

"Man, I didn't get to kill anyone." Lubbock whined, his cheeks puffing out as he pouted.

"That's because you weren't enough to go around." Leone said, as she shrugged her shoulders. "Or you're just not a good assassin."

"What?!" Lubbock exclaimed, glaring at the busty blonde.

"Something doesn't sit right with me." Akame said, as she gripped her sword tightly. "We need to get to the rendezvous point now."

"What's up, Akame?" Leone asked, walking up to the red-eyed assassin.

"I just have a feeling that last guard slipped past us, and is heading towards Tatsumi and Mine's position." Akame said, as she clutched a hand over her heart. "We have to get there fast, and make sure they're okay."

"Lead the way girl, I'm right behind you." Leone said with a smile, before Akame took off sprinting into the woods.

* * *

 **With Mine and I:**

"Hey, I can see the rendezvous point now." I said, as I pushed through some bushes.

"I guess that's mission accomplished." Mine said, approaching the large tree that represented the rendezvous point.

"It's not over until we give our report!" I said with a grin on my face.

"Tch, you've been spending too much time with Miss Perfect Akame." Mine said, as a small smile spread across her face. But Mine yelped when I suddenly shoved her out of the way.

"Watch out!" The second the words left my mouth, I was sent rocketing back by a powerful punch to my stomach.

"Tatsumi!" Mine exclaimed, as she watched me come to a skidding stop almost twenty feet away. The pinkette's eyes filled with rage, as she turned to face my attacker. She wasn't surprised to see one of Iokal's guards staring her down. "You bastard!" Mine's eyes narrowed when she recognized the guard's face. "You were the Temple of the Imperial Fist's assistant instructor ten years ago. No wonder you managed to get past everyone else..."

"That was a pretty impressive shot girlie, but now I have to kill you and your little friend." The guard said, cracking his knuckles.

"We'll see about that." Mine said, as she unslung Pumpkin and took aim at the guard. "You've definitely fallen in status since then!" Mine opened fire on the guard, but to her horror the guard managed to dodge everyone of her shots. "T-There's no way!"

"I got expelled for bad behavior!" The guard exclaimed, charging towards Mine. "I'm going to hand you over to the minister alive, so he can toy with you all he wants. So prepare yourself."

"There's no fucking way that's happening!" I yelled, as I stood back up and lunged at him. "You want her...Get through me, first."

Fight

He did a straight punch, but I dodged, and countered with an uppercut, then chained a juggle of five uppercuts, five high kicks, and ending with a spin kick. I ended the match on the spot by performing my X-Ray move.

Tatsumi wins-Flawless Victory

"Mess with the bull, you get the horns."

He wasn't finished yet, as he tried to pounce on me. However, a Kunai spear impaled his left pectoral, before pulling him away. "GET OVER HERE!"

That voice, that Kunai spear, that style; there was only one entity with all that: Scorpion.

"Who the hell are you?!"

"Your end."

Fight

The guard tried punching Scorpion, but the ninja teleported five times on him. He then used his twin katanas to slash at the guard, drawing a lot of blood. The guard tried a flying kick; however, Scorpion was already preparing his X-Ray move; Scorpion flew through the guard and grabbed him. First, he delivered a knee to the jaw, thus breaking it and sending the guard into the air. Next, he fired one spear into the guard's abdomen and the second one into his skull, puncturing it. Last, Scorpion violently pulled back, sending the man headfirst onto the ground, partially cracking the skull and breaking his neck.

Scorpion wins-Flawless Victory

"Hell awaits you!"

The guard—still not dead—turned his attention back to Mine.

"RAGGHHH!" The guard was distracted when I suddenly attacked him. I swung my sword at the guard, but he simply blocked the attack and sent my sword skidding away. "Stay the fuck away from Mine!" I charged towards the guard, and held onto his waist tightly.

"You little shit!" The guard shouted, as he began to beat my back. Gritting through the pain, I reached for the pistol on my belt. Whipping out the firearm, I placed it right into the guard's gut and fired several rapid shots. The guard's eyes widened, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. I still refused to release him, as he continued pounding on my spine.

"Mine! Finish him off!" I exclaimed, barely able to hold on any longer.

"Tatsumi...You're risking you life for me..."

"Just take the shot! I can't hold him forever!"

Mine whipped out **Pumpkin** , and aimed at the guard's right pectoral. _"Oh crap!"_

The shot fired. The guard fell to the ground, while I was knocked onto the ground, with a small burn on my head.

Mine, "You really have guts, I'll say that much."

I groaned as I got back up, "Ugh! That's gonna leave a mark."

"You're still alive?!"

I simply smiled, "Just lucky, I guess. Just remember..." I put my hand on her shoulder, "Sometimes, you need to ask for help, no matter who you are."

The guard got up again, "Arrgghh!"

"Why won't you die already?!"

Then, when the guard threw out a punch, Scorpion suddenly caught it to our surprise. "YOU WILL JOIN ME IN HELL!" Scorpion then grabbed onto the guard, and dragged him into the Netherrealm.

"We'd...better head back now!" I suggested, and before Mine could ask anything, "I'd rather not talk about it."

She turned herself away, "It seems like you have a little bit of courage." I noticed the blush on her face, "I can't help but be a little bit impressed by..."

I thumped the pinkette on the head, "Sorry, that's really the only way I was gonna get your attention. So I guess that made us even—Sayo and Ieysayu might not be happy, but..." She noticed the burn on my head—it really didn't bother me like the first time around—"Yeah. I'll be fine. Just keep this in mind..."

While I was complimenting her, a few yards away Akame and Leone were watching how we were doing. The latter said something; "Seems like it would've been fine even if we didn't run here."

* * *

 **Imperial Capital:**

"Just like me...they're assassins who use **Imperial Arms**..." A chilling voice whispered, it's owner staring at Akame's wanted poster with a twisted grin on his face. "How utterly delightful...They're causing quite a fuss..."

"Hey you there!" A patrolling guard exclaimed, as he aimed his rifle at the large man at the end of an alleyway.

"You look suspicious! Don't make any sudden movements!" The first guard's partner called out, unsheathing his sword. In the blink of an eye the suspicious man had taken out his own wristblade, and decapitated both guards. Their heads landing on the ground with a sickening plop; their blood staining the entire alleyway.

"Either way..." The man said with a sadistic and evil smile. "The capital seems incredibly easy to navigate. There's just so many people for me to slaughter...How utterly delightful!"

* * *

 _ **Yeah, I went a little overboard with the fight against the last guard, but what do you expect—it's a "Mortal Kombat" crossover, don't forget. But, now he's dead, because Scorpion dragged him to Hell, where the ninja has full advantage.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	6. Chapter 6: Akame 1

**Kill the Imperial Arms User: Akame 1**

"P-Please don't kill me!" A young woman pleaded, as the hand around her throat tightened. On the ground next to the woman, was the decapitated body of her boyfriend; his blood staining the road.

"Such a naughty, naughty girl. It's all your fault for walking around at such a late hour." A malevolent voice said, its owner's fingers digging into the young woman's neck. "Didn't your parents ever warn you of the monsters that come out at night?"

"I-I'll do anything you want! Please...Please just let me live..." The woman begged, as tears freely flowed down her cheeks.

"Oho, you'll really do anything?" The mysterious man asked, causing the young woman to rapidly nod her head. "Well, I oh so love to talk, why don't you entertain me?"

"W-We can talk! I'll talk with you as long as you want!" The woman exclaimed, as she felt the man's grip on her neck loosen ever so slightly. The woman thought she might finally be in the clear...that was until the man asked his first question.

"What's it feel like to have your head chopped off?" The man asked, earning a confused look from the young woman. "Does it hurt? Or do you feel absolutely nothing?" The woman was suddenly snatched from him, by the Thunder God himself, Raiden. "Really?! You can't just let me have my fun?!"

* * *

 **Morning; Training grounds:**

Sayo was shooting targets. Ieysayu was chopping wood. I was struggling trying to swing a rather large sword. "That's enough for me, Bro. My arms really hurt."

Bulat was swinging his training spear around—effortlessly as ever—when ith had a lead weight on each end. "Come on; ya' still got a lot of excess movement in those muscles of yours!" I struggled to lift the blade up again—Bulat aided me. "Just concentrate. You have to sharpen your focus; if you can cut out all that extra movement, you'll be able to hang in there twice as long."

I was starting to get the hang of it, "I...got it..."

"You'll be an unstoppable force before you know it. You just need a firm touch."

"Oh!"

Then Akame arrived in her apron. "Tatsumi..."

"Huh?"

"It's time for you to help me make breakfast."

I rushed away from Bulat, because I wanted to avoid another awkward situation.

* * *

 **Kitchen:**

Ieysayu, "So, what're we making?"

Akame, "It's croquettes and rice."

Sayo whispered to the former, "Croquettes and rice for breakfast? She really is a psychopath."

Me, "Glad to see you two are at least talking to each other." That was short-lived, as they turned their backs onto each other again. "Spoke too soon."

Later:

We just finished breakfast.

Leone, "Whoo! That hit the spot!"

Ieysayu was bloated, "Oh god, my poor stomach."

Sayo, "Hold on...are Mine and Sheele still in bed?"

Me, "Yeah."

Akame turned to the untouched bowls of croquettes and rice—"They always sleep this late."—and gobbled them both down.

Ieysayu, "Uhhh?!"

Sayo, "I just witnessed the speed of a true assassin! No doubt."

Akame stood up, "Tatsumi, we'll be serving tuna and rice for lunch."

Me, "You might wanna come up with an explanation, because Sheele is right behind you."

Sheele, "Hm? What happened to my breakfast?"

* * *

 **Five Minutes; Night Raid's Meeting Room:**

"We have a new target." Najenda said, sinking into her usual chair. "He is a serial killer who's been terrorizing the capital. The killer only appears late at night, and beheads all of his victims. We have no way of knowing how many people he's killed. But by our estimates it's at least over forty people by now."

"I'm pretty sure a third of them were guards." I said, which caused Najenda to nod in response. "So he must be pretty strong."

"There's no doubt then, it's gotta be Headhunter Zanku." Lubbock said, causing me to quirk an eyebrow.

"Are you sure it's him?" Lubbock nodded back to me.

"Headhunter...Zanku...who's he?" Ieysayu asked, which caused Mine and I to groan in annoyance.

"Hey, I don't know who he is either." Sayo pointed out, as she sheepishly raised her hand.

"You both really don't know? Man you both really are from the boonies." Mine said, as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "I'm surprised you didn't say anything, Tatsumi."

"Excuse me." Sheele said, getting everyone's attention. "I don't know either."

"Sheele, I think you just forgot." Mine said, as she shook her head.

"Would you just tell us who he is already?" Sayo asked in an annoyed tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

"*Sigh* Like we said, his name is Headhunter Zanku." Mine explained, as she closed her eyes. "He originally worked at the largest prison in the empire...as its executioner. Because of the minister...he was never short of people to execute. All day...everyday...over and over...they say he beheaded all these people who were begging and pleading for their lives. After years of that...beheading became as natural to him as breathing."

"Holy crap..." Sayo breathed out, a sudden chill running down her spine.

"So...beheading for the jail just couldn't satisfy his bloodlust anymore, so he took to the streets." Mine said, as she reopened her eyes.

"As soon as a team was dispatched to find him, he seemingly disappeared." Bulat chimed in, locking eyes with me from across the room. "But...I never imagined he'd show up in the capital."

"So he's a dangerous psychopath." I said, as I tightly clenched my fists. "Then let's take his ass down!"(I didn't remember much about how my fight against him went.)

"Slow your horses, Tatsumi." Bulat said, ruffling my hair; much to the my chagrin. "Zanku stole an **Imperial Arms** that belonged to the warden a few years ago." My entire face burned red in embarassment when Bulat suddenly cupped my chin. "We have to act in groups of at least two people...or else we could be put in danger."

 _"I feel in way more danger right now for a whole different reason."_ I thought, as I saw the glimmer in Bulat's eyes. _"Geez, Why'd he hafta say it like that?"_

Mine asked Najend, "By the way, do we have any idea which **Imperial Arms** he might be fighting with?"

"No, we're still looking into that."

Leone, "Not about to reveal his hand then, is he? That's annoying."

Ieysayu asked a dumb question. "So uh, what 'is' an **Imperial Arms** anyw..."

He was cut off by Akame U sheathing her sword, **Murasame**. "Something like this."

Me, "That doesn't answer the question for him."

Najenda, "Very well then. Why don't we get them up to speed...A thousand years ago, the emperor who built the great empire was deeply troubled, 'I wish I could defend this nation until the end of time, but someday I will die. However, weaponry and armor can last generation after generation. We will combine our wisdom and create weapons to protect my empire forever!' He gathered materials from S-Class danger beasts and rare metals such as orichalcum. Artisans from around the world were summoned to help him. The emperor's wealth and power allowed him to forge forty-eight weapons; a feat that would be impossible today."

Me, "The **Imperial Arms**...each one of a kind."

"That's right. Each one is equipped with amazing abilities, and some are able to wipe out entire armies. Ministers, who used the **Imperial Arms** , were quite successful on the battlefield, but a large civil war five-hundred years ago caused nearly half of the weapons to be scattered across the land. And that's how it all began."

"Everyone here wields an **Imperial Arms** , I can tell. That includes Akame's sword, and Bro's armor."

"The _One-hit killer:_ **Murasame**. When someone is cut by this sword, a poisonous curse enters the body and kills within seconds. There is no antidote.  Hundred-Beast King Transformation: **Lionelle**. This belt gives the wearer all the strength and swiftness of a wild animal. It also enhances the sense of smell, making it perfect for recon. The _Adventurous Bunker:_ **Pumpkin**. A gun that fires mental energy in the form of a shockwave. The more danger its wielder is in, the more deadly it becomes. The _Demon Armor:_ **Incursio**. A suit of armor with impregnable defense. Wearing it causes such great strain, that any normal person who attempts to put it on will die. The _Prodium:_ **Crosstail**. A string-based **Imperial Arms** that can be used to set traps and barriers, as well as attack enemies directly. It's just as versatile and dangerous as the name suggests. The _Sheers of Creation:_ **Extase**. A giant pair of scissors sharp enough to cut anything in half. They are also strong enough to be used defensively. Some **Imperial Arms** also have _Trump Cards_ ; **Incursio** maximizes the abilities of the beast used to create it, allowing its user to become temporarily invisible. Most importantly, the **Imperial Arms** have followed one ironclad rule from time immemorial; These weapons are so incredible, that whenever two of them clash, it always ends in death. Therefore, if two Imperial Arms users fight, one of them will definitely perish. We know Zanku has an **Imperial Arms** ; while mutual death is a possibility, mutual survival is clearly not."

Ieysayu, "Okay, I see..."

Then Lubbock held one his threads near my neck. "Uh-Oh...looks like we've revealed way too much to let you out of here, now. So unless you wanna die, I guess you're just stuck with us for life."

Ieysayu, "What?!"

Leone, "That's a good thing, Tatsumi. It means the Boss considers you three part of the team now."

Najenda resumed, "While it's true that Night Raid is lacking in numbers, we make up for it with our individual abilities. I believe we're the heart of the revolution."

Ieysayu, "Hey, don't I get an **Imperial Arms** too?!"

Me, "I don't think there's enough here right now."

"If the oppurtunity arises, I'm sure you'll be getting your own, soon enough. Alright, Tatsumi and Akame will be one of the teams." Najenda said, as she lit a cigarette. "The other teams will be Leone and Sheele, and Bulat and Lubbock. Mine, you'll pick a high vantage point, and provide overwatch for all of the teams. If you spot anything suspicious signal them. Sayo, Ieysayu, again I'm sorry, but you're still not ready to participate in missions."

Ieysayu, "What?!"

"I understand boss." Sayo said, nodding her head in agreement. "I know my limits. I'll be ready when I'm ready."

"Good, you all know your teams?" Najenda asked, which earned nods from everyone. "Then get out there and hunt down a serial killer!"

"Yes, Boss!"

* * *

 **Later that Night; Empire's Capital:**

"Hmmm..." Akame hummed, as she scanned over a map. Her blood red eyes swept over a large colored in portion. "Looks like we're in charge of this whole area." Tatsumi walked next to Akame, and glanced at the map over her shoulder. "We have the second largest section to cover, so we need to be very thorough."

"I checked; civilians didn't come out on account of the killer..." I said, checking the amount of ammo I had in my pistol. Seeing that I had a full clip, I loaded the weapon and placed it back in its holster. "That should make things..." I stopped mid-sentence when he heard the sounds of numerous approaching footsteps. "Akame..."

"Right. I hear them too." Akame said, as both assassins quickly dove into a nearby alleyway. Peeking around a dumpster, Akame spotted several capital guards run past the alley's entrance. "Damn...we'll have to watch out for the capital guards as well." When Akame sensed that the coast was clear, she motioned for me to follow her out of the alley. "Okay, they're gone for now."

"Hey, Akame, can I ask you something?"

"Not to worry; I made sure to bring enough food for both of us."

"No, not that...Is it true that your sword kills with one strike; is it sharp enough to actually pierce?"

"That's right."

"Oh man...It's a miracle that I'm even alive right now. _No it's not."_

"I've been using **Murasame** for a very long time, and over the past few years it's built a reputation as the _One-Hit Kill_ sword."

"Shouldn't that be a secret? Well, even it must have limits."

"Yes, It still has some drawbacks; It's almost impossible to clean."

"If you cut your finger, you're dead in seconds."

"I must cut directly into my opponent's flesh, or the curse won't get into the blood."

"Must be tough to get through thick armor. It also must be a living target for the curse to actually infect it."

"For me, everything depends on one-hit kills. That's why I can't afford to rely on just my **Imperial Arms**."

Standing atop a clocktower several blocks away, a lone figure surveyed the area surrounding him. The shadowy figure was Night Raid's current target, Zanku. The executioner had a twisted smile on his face, as he used the **Imperial Arms** on his forehead to observe Akame and me.

"Mmmm, that scene was so sweet I may get a stomach ache." Zanku said, watching the assassins briefly talk. "First there's a killer. Now assassins are on the prowl. This town is one seriously dangerous place, how utterly delightful." Zanku's twisted smile grew as he observed the other assassins in the area. "Now to the fun part, who should I behead first?" He quickly spotted four sets of targets he could attack. "Should I go for the lone sniper who's providing overwatch? Or perhaps the blonde lion and purple-haired scissor user? No..." Zanku began to chuckle like a mad man when he spotted me. "I think I'll go for the tastiest morsel first."

* * *

"*Sigh* We should've known he wouldn't just come waltzing up to us." I said, as I took a sip of my soda. "Man, I'm starting to get really bored."

"We'll just have to be patient." Akame said, taking a bite out of her fourth candy bar. "Just keep your guard up."

"Uh...I'll be right back, Akame." I said, as I quickly got up off the bench.

"Going to take a leak?" Akame asked, causing me to blush brightly; despite being embarrassed, I did nod my head.

Finding an alleyway down the street, I walked down it and unzipped my pants. I breathed a sigh of relief as I emptied my full bladder. "Jeez, I'm pretty damn jumpy right now...I can't let Akame see me like this, or she might get nervous again..." Just as I zipped up my fly, I heard footsteps at the other end of the alley. Turning my head, my eyes widened when I saw Mine grinning at me. "...M-Mine?" Before I could say anything else, Mine took off running. "Wait!"

"Hey, what's taking you so long?" Akame asked, as she poked her head into the alleyway. Her eyes widened when she saw that the alley was completely empty. "Dammit, where did he go?!"

"*Pant* I know that's you, Mine." I said, catching up to Mine in the middle of a large plaza. However, my eyes narrowed as I kept my distance from her. Mine stood motionless with a grin still on her face, while I glared at her. Suddenly, I drew my pistol, and fired several shots at Mine. Before the bullets could hit, she was replaced by a large imposing man. Two blades extended from the man's arms, and blocked the shots. "Gotcha..."

"How?!" Zanku asked, as he fiercely glared at me. "You were supposed to see someone you loved! Yet you shot with almost no hesitation!"

"I don't know what the hell that was, but whatever it was made one mistake." I said, loading a fresh magazine into my pistol. "The person I saw is somewhere else. So your petty little trick won't work on me, Zanku."

"Oho, so you know who I am? I oh so do love prey that have at least a little fight in them." Zanku said, as he watched me unsheathe my sword. "It's seems you've been separated from your little partner...should you wait for backup..." my eyes narrowed as Zanku continued to speak. "Or do you have time for that...is what you're thinking, isn't it?"

 _"Shit! Can he read my mind! That eye thing on his head is his **Imperial Arms** , **Spectator**!"_ I realized, causing a large smirk to spread across Zanku's face.

"Bingo! It's the **Imperial Arms** , ' **Spectator**.' One of its five senses is called, _insight_." Zanku explained, as he tapped the eye on his forehead. "Just by simply looking at your expression, I can know your every thought. It has the ultimate power of perception...I think you deserve a prize for guessing right. How about I make you into a shrunken head for guessing correctly?"

"I gotta say, you sure love to blabber on and on."

"Talking happens to be a hobby of mine." Zanku said, as he smirked at me. "While I'm still at it...the way I found you was the power of, _farsight_. Whether at night or through the thickest fog...I can see clearly over great distances!" Zanku's smirk widened when he easily sidestepped a sudden attack from me. The executioner attempted to kick me, but I dodged the attack. Zanku's eyes widened when I revealed the pistol I was holding in my other hand. Raising the firearm, I emptied the entire clip. Zanku managed to block most of the shots, but a stray bullet deflected off his blade into his arm. "GAH! You little shit! You thought you could get a sneak attack on me when I was talking...but now it seems you've cleared your mind of all thoughts."

"A little trick Akame taught me." I said, putting some distance between myself and Zanku.

"You're turning out to be quite entertaining. This is utterly delightful!" Zanku exclaimed, as he glanced at the wound on his arm. "You've even managed to injure me! How fun!" Readying myself, I charged forward again; this time with a clear mind. "But it's still no use...I can still read all of your movements." Zanku easily dodged my first slash, and began to taunt me by calling out his moves. "A bold step forward with slash from above...followed by an uppercut...four rapid pistol shots...horizontal slash from the left...then the right...immidiately followed by three more pistol shots...then you go low...for a fake...and strike for the throat..." I jumped back just in time to barely dodge a swipe from one of Zanku's arm blades. The attack missed my stomach by only a few inches; cutting a large hole in my shirt, and barely breaking my skin.

"How? How did you still predict my moves?! I cleared my mind of all thoughts!" I exclaimed, fiercely glaring at Zanku.

"I can see the subtle movement of your muscles, and predict all of your moves." Zanku replied, which caused my eyes to widen.

 _"I forgot about that...And he's strong..."_ I thought, tightening my grip on my sword. _"He's far stronger than any opponent I've faced. Except...Shinnok; he's a pushover compared to Shinnok."_

"The look on people's face when you cut their heads off is unbelievably pleasurable." Zanku said, as a shiver ran down his spine. "Most of them have this blank look on their face...like they have no idea what's happening to them...I'm curious as to what type of face you'll make...how utterly delightful!"

"My neck's not so weak...as to be cut by the likes of you." I said, retaking my fighting stance. "I will not die here! I have to live, and come back to the others! I have to make my future brighter! My story won't end here!"

"Tatsumi..." Akame said, as she sprinted full speed through the capital's deserted streets. "Where the hell did you go!?" Suddenly Akame came to a skidding stop when she heard several loud bangs ring out. "That was Tatsumi's pistol..." Akame's eyes widened when realization struck her. "He must be fighting Zanku!" With fear pulsing through her veins, Akame took off running towards where she had heard the gunfire. "Don't worry Tatsumi, I'm coming!" Akame's grip on her sword tightened. "Please don't die Tatsumi!"

 **With me and Zanku; Two Minutes Later:**

"This has been so fun." Zanku said, taking several swipes at me; which I barely managed to dodge. I had managed to dodge a majority of Zanku's attacks, but I couldn't dodge them all. The executioner had managed to land a few lucky hits, despite my quick evasions, which left several small cuts along my arms and sides. "You know, I like you kid. I think I'll add your shrunken head to my collection." I was starting to get extremely tired, and my dodges were getting sloppy. "You're quite fast, but I can see that you're running out of steam...Looks like I'll have my prize soon enough...how utterly delightful."

"Screw this." I said through clenched teeth, as I applied pressure to the cut on my arm; trying my best to slow the bleeding. _"Dammit, I'm really running on fumes here. If I don't get some help soon..."_

"I absolutely love when people with such gentle eyes plead for their lives. So I'm going to take my sweet time with you." Zanku said, his twisted and toothy smile returning. "Now...Beg! It might buy you just a enough time for your friend to arrive!"

"As tempting as that sounds, I think I'll pass." I said, as I wiped some sweat from my brow. "I'd never beg for my life from some disgusting scum like you...who's only good at cutting heads off!" I braced myself, and took a fighting stance, while calling on my Edenian abilities. _"If he can read my mind and see my muscles movements...I'll keep this simple...I'm going put everything I have...into this one attack!"_

"Oh my, what a courageous lad you are." Zanku said, smirking at me. "You're wounds must hurt, and you look awfully tired. I'm somewhat of an expert at beheading, so I can help end your suffering."

"Here..." I exclaimed, as I launched forward; much faster than Zanku was expecting, due to the otherworldly power. "I...Come!" I slashed my sword, and I felt my blade hit flesh. A large cut appeared along most of Zanku's right cheek; blood flowing from the fresh wound. "Heh, I finally gotcha, you bastard." As soon as the words left my mouth, I grunted in pain. Seconds later, I collapsed to the ground with a blood seeping down my back. Zanku had managed to hit me as I passed; slicing a horizontal wound along my back.

 _"That attack was far faster than any of his previous attacks."_ Zanku thought, wiping the blood from his cheek. He turned his head to glance at me, who could barely move on the ground. _"Tch, this kid is something else..."_

"You call yourself an executioner." I taunted, as I struggled to at least get onto my knees. "My ass...You completely missed my neck! You're nothing but a hack!"

"You little shit!" Zanku roared, charging towards me. But when Zanku was a few feet way, a sword impaled into the ground in front of him. A moment later, Akame withdrew her blade from the ground and pointed it at Zanku.

"Nice job, Tatsumi." Akame said, as she turned her head to look at me. "As far as psychological damage goes, you won this battle."

"Akame..." I breathed out, a pained smile spreading across my face. "I knew you'd come."

"I'm so glad I finally found you." Akame said, as she smiled at me. However, Akame's eyes and voice darkened when she saw the numerous injuries on my body. The red-eyed assassin tightened her grip on her sword, and turned to glare at Zanku. "Just give me a moment, Tatsumi. I'll finish this guy off quickly, and then deal with your wounds."

"Oho, it's the infamous Akame and her demon sword Murasame. I've wanted to meet you for some time now." Zanku said, flashing Akame a twisted smirk. "You and the boy looked so cute earlier, it made me want to cry."

"Tch, you stay away from Tatsumi." Akame said, as she clenched her teeth. "I've wanted to meet you as well. After all, I am on a job."

 _"X-ray vision!"_ Zanku thought, the eye on his head opening. He scanned over Akame's form, searching for any hidden weapons. _"Hmm, she has no hidden weapons on her!"_

"Be careful Akame..." I said, as I leaned against a low wall. "That eye of his can read your thoughts, and see your muscles movements."

"Got it." Akame said, her eyes locking onto the **Imperial Arms** on Zanku's head. "So that's how his **Imperial Arms** works."

Fight

Taking a deep breath, Akame charged towards Zanku. "Even if he can read my mind and predict my movement, it means nothing if he can't match my moves." Seconds later, Akame and Zanku clashed blades. Sparks flew as Zanku's arm blades and Akame's Murasame grinded against each other. But to Zanku's surprise, Akame was much stronger than she appeared. The red-eyed assassin quickly overpowered Zanku, and sent him flying back; crashing into wall. The executioner barely had time to dodge, before Akame's sword pierced the wall where he had been a moment before.

 _"Such incredible skills..."_ Zanku thought, as he came to a skidding stop. _"She obviously has countless battles under her belt. She's even faster than that boy, and she has raw power on top of her incredible speed!"_ From the sidelines, I watched in awe as Zanku and Akame repeatedly clashed blades. Their attacks almost seemed to blur, because of how fast they were moving.

"Damn...So this a battle between **Imperial Arms** users? I forgot what that was like." I muttered, watching Akame take another calming breath. "She's still so much faster and stronger than me...I still have a long way to go."

"Hmmm, it's seems you've now cleared your mind. You really are the one who taught that boy, aren't you?" Zanku asked, just as Akame rushed forward again. Akame tried to hit Zanku with a powerful overhead slash. But the executioner predicted her move, and easily blocked her attack. However, again, Zanku underestimated Akame's strength. The executioner grunted as the force from Akame's attack pushed him downwards; causing the ground underneath him to crack. Zanku's twisted smirk returned when he saw an opening. Acting quickly, Zanku slashed at Akame with his dual blades. But Akame jumped back just in time, and seemed to be unscathed. But moments later Akame hissed in pain, as blood began run down her arm.

 _"Akame...actually got hit?"_ I thought, staring at the blood running down Akame's arm with wide eyes. "I never thought I'd see that again."

"That sword of yours is just simply unfair." Zanku said, as he pointed one his blades at Akame. "One little cut, and it's all over for me."

"You're the one who's reading my mind and movements, you bastard." Akame said, clutching the wound on her arm. "So don't you lecture me on what is and isn't fair."

"Oh? Is that a hint of fear I hear in your voice, Akame?" Zanku taunted, which caused Akame to growl slightly. "Are you afraid I'm going to kill you?" Suddenly, Zanku turned towards me. "Or are you afraid I'm going to kill this boy?"

"Leave Tatsumi out of this. Your fight is with me." Akame growled, her blood red eyes narrowing at Zanku.

"You two do make such an adorable couple." Zanku said, grinning wickedly at Akame. "When I chop off both your heads, I'll be sure to shrink them and keep them together, so that the two of you can be together forever."

"The only who will die tonight is you." Akame said, as she took a defensive stance.

"Before we continue our dance of death, do tell me one thing Akame...How do you deal with the voices?" Zanku asked, causing Akame to quirk an eyebrow in confusion. "Oh come on now, I know you hear them as well...especially when it's quiet and lonely. The shrill screams of all those I've killed...rising up from the deepest, darkest pits of hell. HAHAHA! They hate me so much...and they keep pleading me to join them all in hell."

"This guy is seriously fucked up." Both Akame and I thought simultaneously.

"I started hearing them after I became executioner at the prison." Zanku explained with a twisted smile on his face. "But it's gotten truly bad these days. I try my hardest to drone them out by talking over them. But I'm just curious as to how you manage-"

"I don't hear them." Akame said, causing Zanku's eyes to widen. "I don't know what you're talking about. I hear no voices."

"What?" Zanku asked, as he grit his teeth. "I figured someone who'd killed as much as you...would be able to share my burden..." Zanku's creepy grin returned, when the eye on his head opened once again. "It's truly tragic!" Akame's eyes slowly widened, as Zanku was replaced by a completely different person.

"K-Kurome?" Akame breathed out, completely shocked to see her younger sister standing before her.

 _"Kurome? Akame's sister?"_ I thought, just as I remembered how I had seen Mine earlier. _"That explains Mine! He must be able to show us people we care deeply about!"_

"Oho, it seems you've figured out my little trick." Zanku said darkly, as he began to stalk towards, the still stunned, Akame. "You see, it's all an optical illusion. The person most dear to my victim appears before their very eyes."

"Akame! It's all a dirty trick! Your sister isn't really there!" I shouted, desperately trying to snap Akame out of her trance. "Remember! You can't fall for an enemy's tricks! So snap out of it!"(The reality was that I was just luring Zanku into a false sense of security)

"You're wasting your breath, boy." Zanku said, as his blades extended from his arms. "My illusions may only work on one person at a time, but the effects are absolute...no matter how skilled or disciplined the person may be...there's no way they'll attack someone they love...Now..." Zanku, disguised as Kurome, raised his blade to attack Akame. "Die at the hands of the one you love, Akame!" In the blink of an eye, Akame raised her sword and slashed at Kurome; dispelling the illusion placed upon her. Taken completely off guard by time, Zanku had no time dodge Akame's next attack. With blinding speed, Akame stabbed her sword through Zanku's stomach; his blood staining her blade as Murasame's poison flowed into his body.

"You're the one who was wasting his breath." Akame said, pulling her blade from Zanku's body. "I'd never fall for such a pathetic trick."

"Y-You didn't even hesitate...How?! You were supposed to see someone you love!" Zanku roared, before he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

Brutality-Akame Wins

"It's because my love is so great...that I want to be the one to kill her, I want to make it as quick as possible." Akame said, causing Zanku's eyes to widen. Resheathing her sword, Akame looked down at Zanku with a sympathetic look. "This battle is over...Now you won't have to hear the voices anymore."

The headphones on Zanku's head disentegrated.

"She saved me..." I thought, as I smiled at Akame. "But I'm gonna get strong, and then one of these days I'm gonna be the one to save her!"

"She's right...the voices...they've stopped..." Zanku thought, one last twisted smile spreading across his face. "How...utterly delightful...thank you, Akame."

"Let's get you patched up." Akame said, as she helped me onto my feet. I winced, the sudden movement agitating my wounds. "Man, he really did a number on you."

"Thanks for saving me, Akame." I said, hanging my head. "If you hadn't shown up when you did I-"

"Please don't say it, Tatsumi." Akame said, not wanting me to finish my last sentence.

* * *

 _ **Yeah, not much changes.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Kill the Fantasy**

With a sudden intake of air, I shot up in my bed. I was panting slightly, and I could feel sweat running down my forehead. I ran down my face when I remembered my dream of Cassie and the others being blown to bits by Shinnok. _"What a horrible nightmare..."_

"Mmm, Tatsumi..." Hearing my name, I turned my head to see Sheele asleep in a chair next to my bed. The purple-haired woman's head was resting on the edge of my bed.

 _"Why'd she fall asleep in my room?"_ I thought, as I stared down at Sheele.

"Looks like you'll be training under me today, Tatsumi." Sheele muttered in her sleep. I didn't miss the slight blush that was spread across Sheele's face. "I can't wait to work with you..."

 _"Man, she really is an airhead, now that I recall."_ I thought with a small smile, as I reached out and gently poked Sheele's cheek. The purple-haired girl yawned cutely, and slowly sat up. "Morning, Sheele?!"

"Good morning, Tatsumi." Sheele said, taking off her glasses and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Wait...what was I doing in here again?"

"I think you're the one who's supposed to train me today." I replied, as I slipped out of bed. "You must have came in here to tell me and nodded off."

"Oh...that sounds right." Sheele said, absentmindedly staring out a window. "Well let's get started then."

"Do you have anything planned out." I asked, as I put on my shoes and put my sword on my back. "Because Akame was a little upset that I'd be missing out on our usual morning training."

"No not really." Sheele replied, placing a finger on her chin. "But, I'm sure I'll think of something as we go."

* * *

 **Kitchen:**

"So..." Lubbock said, as he reached into a nearby fruit basket and bit into a slice of apple. "Tatsumi is training Sheele-san today? Do you think he'll be okay with her in charge?"

"He'll be fine." Najenda replied, walking up and grabbing an apple as well. "I think Sheele really enjoys Tatsumi's company."

"What makes you say that?" Lubbock asked, as he quirked a green eyebrow.

"Older women seem to like Tatsumi." Najenda explained, shrugging her shoulders.

"Oh! Over here!" Leone cheered, as she energetically raised her hand into the air. "I've totally got dibs on Tatsumi next!"

"See?" Najenda said, gesturing to Leone with her thumb. "The kid has some type of gift, or something."

"What the hell!?" Lubbock yelled, anime tears pouring from his eyes. "It's not fair, man!" Lubbock began to pound his fist on the ground and cry like a small child. "GAH! Why's he so damn lucky?! Ah, DAMMIT THAT IS SUCH BULLCRAP!"

"Since Tatsumi is an assassin, he has to be a lady killer." Najenda joked, causing an uncomfortable silence to fall over the room. "How was that? Pretty clever right?" Receiving nothing but blank stares in response, Najenda hung her head. "...I'll take that as a no then."

Then, Akame came up to the table. "So then, about lunch; I was thinking I make some mafo beef balls..."

Lubbock, "Well I'd prefer if you decide mafo tofu, and be..."

He was cut off by the two women. "Sounds good!"

Akame, "And I'll top it off with a little fried chicken, okay."

"Fried chicken too?! Don't you think that's a little bit mu..."

"Sounds good!"

"Ugh! Where the heck do they put it all? Night Raid women are carnivores."

* * *

 **Thirty Minutes Later; River Just South of Night Raid's Base:**

"NGAH!" Ieysayu grunted, slowly pulling himself out of the rapidly flowing river. The young man was dressed in heavy armor from the neck down. Panting heavily, he practically collapsed on the riverbed. "*Pant* *Pant* Fuck...me!"

"You did a great job swimming in that armor, Ieysayu!" Sheele called out, as she sat down on a nearby rock. "You too, Tatsumi!"

"So...*Pant* heavy...that was so hard!" I groaned, managing to get back up onto my feet, after getting out.

"What was the point of swimming across that river in this heavy ass armor?"

"I...don't remember." Sheele replied, as she scratched the back of her head in embarassment.

"Of course you don't." I breathed out, hanging my head.

"But this is a part of the curriculum for assassin training." Sheele said, as she adjusted her glasses. "Since I don't have duties at the hideout, I can focus all my attention on helping you."

"Why don't you have any duties?" Ieysayu asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Well..." Sheele muttered, as she placed a finger on her chin. "When I tried to help cook, I burned the food and made Akame mad, she still won't let me anywhere near the kitchen. While cleaning, I managed to make an even bigger mess, and caused trouble for Bulat. But he didn't seem to really mind that much. Then when I went on a shopping errand, I mixed up the sugar with the salt, and Leone laughed at me; She still teases me about it. And when I tried to help Lubbock set up some traps around the base, I ended getting caught in most of them. My back still hurts from when I fell in a pit trap. Lastly, when I did the laundry...I ended up throwing Mine in as well."

"Okay, I think I get it now." Ieysayu said, pinching the bridge of his nose. _"How did she mix Mine up with the laundry? Ah who cares? It was Mine anyways, so good job Sheele!"_

Releasing another light sigh, I began to peel off the heavy armor I was wearing. "Uh Sheele, there's something that I've been wondering for a while. Back when I first met you all, I don't remember seeing you in the return party."

"Oh that..." Sheele said, as she nervously rubbed her arm. "I'm sorry...but I'm too embarrassed to tell you." When Sheele apologized she bowed her head, which allowed her glasses to slip off. "Oh no, my glasses! Where did my glasses go!?" Sheele bent over and began to frantically feel around for her glasses.

 _"Oh my God..."_ Ieysayu thought, a fierce blush spreading across his face. The way Sheele had bent forward gave him an extremely generous view of her cleavage. _"So cute..."_

Quickly smacking his head to rid his mind of any impure thoughts, I walked over and picked up Sheele's glasses. "Here you go, Sheele."

"Thank you, Tatsumi." Sheele said, as she put her glasses back on. "I'm practically blind without these."

"Hey Sheele, I promise we won't laugh if you tell us why you weren't with the return team." I said, sitting down on the rock next to Sheele.

"You promise?" Sheele asked, which caused Tatsumi to nod his head. "*Sigh* My target was Aria's mother...Well I managed to kill her...but then I...kinda got lost..."

"You got...lost?" Ieysayu repeated, trying to stop himself from giggling.

"Yeah...the house was so big...and there were so many rooms...I just kept on getting turned around...By the time I finally found my way out...you all were gone, and I had to head back on my own." That did it. Ieysayu couldn't take it anymore. Managing to hold in his giggles for a few more seconds, he eventually burst out laughing. "Hey! You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry!" I frantically apologized between Ieysayu's fits of laughter. "But you're just so adorable!"

"W-What?!" Sheele squeaked, as her entire face flushed beat red.

"You're just like a little kid sometimes." Ieysayu explained, wiping a tear that had formed in the corner of his eye. "It's really cute. You're always so innocent and sweet."

"Uh...I'll take that as a compliment I guess." Sheele said, as she tried to fight off her fierce blush.

"So, how exactly did you end up in this line of work, Sheele?" I asked once Ieysayu had finished laughing. "Because you seem too nice to be doing this job."

"Hmm, I guess I should start from the beginning I guess..." Sheele said, as she adjusted her glasses. "I was born in the capital's downtown district...Ever since I was little, I've been a klutz...I was never told that I had done a good job...People would always tell me that I have a screw loose in my head..."

"Sheele..." I thought, spotting the sad look in Sheele's eyes. Slowly reaching out, Tatsumi placed a hand on Sheele's shoulder. Feeling my hand on her shoulder, She gave me a small smile.

"But...despite everything that happened, I had a friend who liked me for who I was...No matter how badly I messed something up, she would never make fun of me or call me a screw up...my time spent with her was the only happiness I ever had..." Sheele said, as a single tear rolled down her cheek. "That was until one day...her ex-boyfriend came barging into her home...he was furious at her for dumping him, so he came over and started trashing her home...then he started choking her right before my eyes...I knew I had to save her, so I did the only thing I could think of...I grabbed a nearby knife, and stabbed him in the throat, right in the jugular...he died almost instantly...during the whole thing, I was so calm that it shocked me...my friend was shaking from what had just happened...I, on the other hand, was completely calm."

"What happened to you and your friend?" Ieysayu asked, causing Sheele to release a light sigh.

"There was a court case, and it was deemed a legitimate matter of self-defense. So I faced no charges." Sheele replied, as she stared down at the ground. "But after that my friend...said she didn't want to see me again...I haven't seen or heard from her since then...A few days after the trial, a group of men surrounded me on the street...they were friends of the man I killed, apparently he was in some type of gang...They told me that they had already killed my parents, and that I was next on their list...But when I heard that, I wasn't scared or worried...I was calm and collected...I used a knife I had started carrying around to kill all of them...After I'd killed them all, I was struck with a sudden realization...That loose screw I had...was what made me such a great killer...I could finally be useful...I could help wipe out the trash in society...After that I worked as a freelance assassin in the capital for a while, before I was recruited by the revolutionary army...And that's pretty much the whole story."

"So that's how you know the curriculum for assassin training." I said, earning a nod from Sheele. "I'm sorry for everything that you've gone through Sheele. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for you growing up."

"Oh, there's no need for you to apologize, Tatsumi." Sheele said, as she waved dismissively. "Sure, I had rough time when I was younger, and becoming an assassin didn't come quite as naturally to me as it did for you. But I'm truly happy now." A bright smile suddenly spread across Sheele's face. "I love everyone in Night Raid. You're all like a family to me, and I'm happy to have all of you in my life."

"I'm glad to hear that Sheele, because I like you all too." I said, before I turned my back to Sheele. _"Everyone here...carries so many scars and demons with them..._ Hey, Sheele..." I asked, "Do you think we have what it takes?"

"You'll do just fine." She gave us a warm smile, and after a short pause..."Unlike me, you're excellent cooks."

Ieysayu didn't take that well, _"Seriously, that's what you meant?!"_

"You're doing great, Tatsumi!" Bulat jumped out of the river; without a shirt, and he was smiling brightly while flexing his arm muscles, and letting out a hardy chuckle, "Ha Ha Ha Ha!"

 _"On second thought, maybe we're not cut out for this..."_

* * *

 **Later; Night Raid's Meeting Room:**

"Tatsumi, since your wounds have fully healed by now..." Najenda said, as she extended her hand towards me. "That **Imperial Arms** we seized from Zanku...we're going to let you have it."

"Whoa! You sure?!" I exclaimed, taking the **Imperial Arms** from Najenda's hand.

Ieysayu turned his head to everyone else, "What about the rest of us!?"

"Yeah! Where's my **Imperial Arms**!?" Sayo exclaimed, as she puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms under her chest.

"Sorry, but it's only one **Imperial Arms** per person." Bulat said, placing his hands on his hips and smiling at Sayo.

"Bulat's right, **Imperial Arms** take up a lot of physical and mental strength." Lubbock added, as he walked up next to Bulat.

"Man, I hope I get an **Imperial Arms** soon." Ieysayu whined, continuing to pout.

"You'll get one eventually, Sayo." I reassured, as I gazed down at the **Imperial Arms** in my hand. "This thing may be freaky looking...but this eye...is so powerful..."

"We couldn't find anything about this **Imperial Arms** in the records, so it's still a mystery." Najenda said, leaning forward in her chair.

"It has the power to read minds right?" Akame asked, as she walked up to me. "Then read my mind." I locked eyes with Akame, and focused on reading her thoughts. But after almost a minute, I hung my head in defeat.

"I got nothing." I said in sullen tone.

"It's okay Tatsumi, you tried your best." Akame said, patting me on the back.

Ieysayu snatched the eye. "Lemme try!"

"Careful with that thing!"

"Tch, I wouldn't want that thing reading my mind anyways. That's pretty creepy if you ask me." Mine said, as she leaned against a nearby wall. "That thing has five senses, so try out another one of those."

"Okay...Let's try a different one..." Ieysayu said, sitting on the ground cross-legged "Hmm...the only power I don't know about is...x-ray vision!" Almost immidiately the eye on his forehead opened up, and he was treated to a sight that most men would kill to see. Standing before Ieysayu stood Mine, Akame, and Sheele. But thanks to the x-ray vision of his **Imperial Arms** , he could see all of their underwear, especially Sheele's lacy purple bra and panties. Ieysayu's eyes slowly widened and a fierce blush spread across his face, as he ogled the girl's bodies.

"So? Is it working?" Mine asked, as she leaned in closer; which allowed Ieysayu to clearly see down her loose undershirt. The pinkette quirked an eyebrow when she noticed him recoil away from her. "Hey, what's up with you?"

 _"What an amazing power..."_ Ieysayu thought, practically drooling because of the erotic images he was seeing(If Lubbock didn't already have **Crosstail** , he'd be doing the same exact thing). _"Whoever invented **Imperial Arms**...was an absolute genius! But Mine is so tiny!"_

"Yeah you're acting really strange, Ieysayu." A new voice said from behind him. Turning his head, Ieysayu's eyes immidiately bugged out. Standing before him was Leone...and he could see everything. Leone already wore very little clothing, so the x-ray vision pierced through the clothes she did wear, and gave him a perfect view of her naked body. The young man began to stammer uncontrollably when he spotted Leone's large exposed breasts. When his eyes drifted lower, he got a full view of Leone's womanhood. His eyes rolled into the back of his head from the intense stimulation, and a few seconds later a stream of blood spilled from his nose; he then collapsed onto the floor.

"Aw shit! It's rejecting him!" Lubbock exclaimed, just as Akame rushed forward.

"We have to get it off now!" Akame yelled, before I was yanking the **Imperial Arms** off Ieysayu's forehead.

"Man, I feel really tired." Ieysayu said weakly, as he slowly got up off the ground. The young man released a sigh of relief when he noticed that he couldn't see through all of the girls clothes. "Thank God, that was a little too much for me to take at once."

"It's gotta be the compatibility." Najenda said, rubbing her chin.

"Looks like it wasn't fit for you." Akame said, as she handed the **Imperial Arms** back to Najenda.

"Yeah...the compatibility...let's go with that." I said, nervously rubbing the back of my head.

"You thought it looked stupid, didn't you?" Mine asked, as she released an annoyed huff. "You probably didn't know this, but **Imperial Arms** are very sensitive to their user's initial impression."

"I guess we should send this to the Revolutionary Army's HQ." Najenda said, gazing down at the **Imperial Arms** in her hand. "Once they've analyzed it, they'll be able to put it to good use."

"We mainly do assassination missions." Akame said, as she and I helped Ieysayu back onto his feet. "But we collect **Imperial Arms** as a side-objective. In Zanku's case, where and enemy possesses an **Imperial Arms** , we either confiscate it or destroy it completely."

"Here." Najenda said, handing me a large book. "You should read this, and learn as much as you can about the known **Imperial Arms**."

"Wow...there's so many different ones..." I muttered, as I flipped through the pages.

Sayo, "Here's **Pumpkin**...and there's **Murasame**...oh and that's **Lionelle**."

"You should at least memorized what's in that book." Najenda said, leaning forward in her chair.

"Boss...in your opinion, what's the strongest **Imperial Arms**?" Sayo asked, which caused Najenda to release a heavy sigh.

"It all depends on the user and compatibility, but..." Najenda said, clenching her teeth tightly. Releasing a shaky breath, Najenda locked eyes with us. "It's the **Imperial Arms** that allows the user to manipulate ice...We're lucky, because its wielder is currently conquering the Northern lands."

"That's because the Hero of the North is so strong." Lubbock said, as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Oh yeah, I've heard about him." I said, rubbing my chin.

"We heard tales about him on our journey to the capital." Sayo added, as she walked up next to me.

"I don't think we have anything to worry about." Lubbock said, closing his eyes and leaning against a nearby wall. "Even for her, it would take at least a year to conquer the North."

"I agree." Najenda said, as she nodded her head.

"Well the stronger the enemy, the better I say!" I exclaimed, causing everyone to quirk an eyebrow at my sudden enthusiasm. "Let's just keep on collecting **Imperial Arms**!"

"What's gotten into you all of a sudden?" Leone asked, as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, you're all excited now for some reason." Sayo said, not understanding why I was suddenly so gung ho.

"Well there's still so many **Imperial Arms** out there that we have no idea what they do. And this book, seriously, needs updating! We need to know more on what particular enemies the first emperor made the **Imperial Arms** for." I then collected myself. "I...I need to do something on my own right now..." I announced, as I made my way out of the room. "I'll see you all in a bit..."

"Tatsumi..." Sheele thought, clutching a hand over her head as she watched me walk out of the room.

* * *

 **That Night; Just Outside Night Raid's Base:**

"So this is where you've been?" Sheele said, as she walked up to me; I was crouched in front of the open fiels, with my back to her.

"I'm just...concerned... _First Quan Chi, then Scorpion_ ; my past is trying to pull me back in. I just want it to stop." I was roused when I felt a pair of arms wrap around me. My eyes widened when I felt Sheele pull me closer. "S-Sheele?"

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." Sheele said, as she tightened her hold on me. "So you can cry all you want."

"Are you sure..." I asked with a hidden smile, tears falling from my eyes. "My teacher really shouldn't be so indulgent of my childish behavior."

"Who knows?" Sheele replied, as she laid her head against mine "But I don't really care...Besides I don't really see a problem with this."

"That's so like you, Sheele..." I said, gently taking hold of Sheele's hand. "Thank you, Sheele. I really needed this..."

 _"I should be thanking you, Tatsumi..."_ Sheele thought, as a slight blush spread across her face. _"Because of you...I finally found something else I'm good at."_

* * *

 **Northern Tribe's Capital Fortress:**

The scene in the Northern Tribe's capital was one of absolute slaughter; Hundreds of corpses, killed in a variety of ways, littered the streets. Soldiers were frozen in solid chunks of ice, civilians were crucified openly, decapitated bodies were nearly everywhere. In the capital's fortress, Numa Seika, heralded as the 'Hero of the North,' was naked and chained around the neck. The once mighty man was now mentally broken, and was panting, drooling mess. A tug on on Numa's chain caused him to gaze up at the one who had conquered his people. Her icy stare was as cold as the ice she used to crush his forces. The woman presented her boot to Numa, and he obediently licked it.

"Man, the Northern tribe was defeated in no time." A capital soldier commented, as he stared at the destruction around him. "Just as we'd expect from General Esdeath!"

"The soldiers' and civilians' moral has been shattered." Another solider added, staring at the pathetic man that Numa had become. The once great hero had a stupid look in his eyes and his tongue hung out of his mouth.

"Tch, this is who was touted as the 'Hero of the North?' What a joke." Esdeath said, glaring harshly at Numa. "You were nothing more than a simple play thing for me. Now die." With a swift kick, Esdeath's heeled boot smashed Numa's skull; spraying his blood across the floor around him. "What a pathetic dog..." Esdeath rose from her seat, her army at her back. "Is there no one who can satisfy me as my enemy?"

* * *

 **Capital's Streets:**

 _"Well this is different."_ I thought, glancing at all the smiling and laughing around me. I had become so used to seeing the depressed looks of the capital's citizens, that it was genuinely surprising to see people in the capital smiling. But what surprised me the most was how much attention my current mentor was receiving. Leone walked next to me, and was receiving numerous greetings from the people they passed. _"It's like Leone is a celebrity around these parts."_

"Good day, Leone!"

"If you have time, I could use a good shoulder massage!"

"Lookin' sexy today, Leone! Let's get drinks some time!"

"Leone! Come play with us!"

"Man the slums are like a completely different city." I commented, as a smile spread across my face. It was nice to see people happy despite the atrocities that were going on in the capital. "This place is just so...alive. It's so full of joy and energy."

"It's that spirit to never give in." Leone explained, waving to a group of people that had greeted her. "When you spend your whole life struggling to live day-to-day, you learn to be tough and make the best out everything."

"Either way, you're really popular around here." I commented, as I glanced over at Leone.

"I grew up here, so this area is my hometown!" Leone cheered, leaning closer to whisper into my ear. The busty blonde's lustful tone sent a shiver down my spine. "I've gained a reputation for being a fantastic masseuse. Maybe I can give you a 'private' massage later? You might even get a happy ending."

"I think I'll pass..." I was jittery.

"There she is!" A new voice called out from behind both of us. "Leone!" The blonde assassin's eyes shot open when she recognized the three men running towards her. "Pay off your tab!"

"Settle your gambling debts!"

"Give me back the money you conned from my brother!"

"Time to book it Tatsumi!" Leone called out, as she took off running. She was surprised when I caught up to her in only a few seconds. _"Looks like Akame's speed training is really paying off for that kid. I'm the second fastest member in the group, and he's keeping pace with me no problem."_

"Those friends of yours?!" I asked, vaulting over a cart in my path. "Because they don't look to happy to see you!"

"Ah! Don't worry about them!" Leone relied, as dodged a bottle that was thrown at her by one of their pursuers. "Well?! What do you think!? This place is pretty interesting!"

"I'm worried you'll end up being the target for assassination!" I exclaimed, dodging a group of kids playing in front of me.

"Okay Tatsumi! We need to split up, so we can throw these guys off our trails!" Leone yelled, as she jumped over a few trash cans. Before I even had a chance to protest, Leone had ducked down an alleyway.

"Shit! I lost sight of Leone!"

"Get that kid! He was with her!"

"Yeah! We'll beat the info out of him!"

"Son of a bitch!" I shouted, making a sudden turn down a narrow street. Next thing I knew, I just broke the sound barrier.

* * *

 **Fifteen Minutes Later:**

"*Pant* *Pant* I think I finally lost them." I said, as I wiped the sweat off my brow. However, as I scanned my surroundings, I realized one glaring problem with Leone's plan. "...I'm completely lost..." I began panic and pace back and forth. "Shit! I got separated from Leone and I have no idea where I am! And we have fucking mission to do in a few hours!"

"Well now! What do we have here!?" A sweet and cheery feminine voice said from behind me.

I turned my head to see an auburn-haired, garrison guard jogging towards me. As the girl approached, I noticed that she was dragging something on a leash. When I finally got a good look at what the girl was dragging, my eyes widened. This girl was in possession of the **Imperial Arms** , **Hecatoncheir** ; I remembered reading about it in the book about **Imperial Arms** I had been given. It appeared to be a small dog, but was actually an extremely deadly, biological **Imperial Arms**. That meant whoever this girl was, she was dangerous, no matter how sweet she seemed.

"My justice sensor was picking up something. You there! Are you need of any assistance?" The girl asked, as she suddenly saluted. "I'm Seryu, with the capital garrison! I'm an ally of justice!"

 _"Crap, I have to be really careful right now."_ I thought, beginning to feel my palms sweat. _"One wrong move and I could end up in prison...or dead."_ I was snapped out of my thoughts when Seryu's **Imperial Arms** began to whine.

"Are you hungry **Koro**?" Seryu asked the **Imperial Arms** , as she crouched in front of it. "Well, just hang in there a little longer!" Seryu noticed that I was staring at **Koro** , and gently picked up the **Imperial Arms**. "Oh don't worry about **Koro**. He's the **Imperial Arms** , **Hecatoncheir**. He's completely harmless to all innocents."

 _"Or whoever you perceive as innocent..."_ I thought, giving the **Imperial Arms** an uneasy look.

"So do you have a problem?" Seryu asked with a bright smile on her face.

"Oh...uh...I'm just lost...I'm kinda new to this area." I explained, rubbing the back of my head. "I know the name of the bar I'm supposed to meet my friend at, but I have no idea how to get there."

"You poor thing! I'll take you there while I do my usual patrol!" Seryu exclaimed, as she reached out and grabbed my hand. I quietly gasped when I felt a sudden chill run down my spine. Seryu seemed like a nice girl, but she had a seriously evil aura inside her. The evil aura was so revolting that it started to make me nauseous. But I didn't want to seem suspicious, so I tried my best to keep my cool. I managed to calm my churning stomach, as I allowed myself to be lead by Seryu. "This way. Please don't get separated now!" As Seryu lead me through the slums, **Koro** began to whine once again.

"So...do all members of the capital's garrison have guys like him?" I asked, discretely keeping an eye on the **Imperial Arms**.

"No, I'm the only one with an **Imperial Arms**." Seryu replied, as she picked up an obviously irritated **Koro**. " **Koro**...ah, that's the name I gave him...anyway, apparently he won't move around with anybody who's not compatible with him. None of the higher-ups could use him, so they started testing all of the grunts...and I guess **Koro** must have responded to my heart of justice. That's why he's my partner now!"

 _"Justice my ass..."_ I thought, glaring at the back of the girls head. _"There's something seriously wrong with this girl."_

"Anyways, here we are!" Seryu cheered, as she came to a stop in front of the bar I had mentioned.

"Thank you very much." I said, rubbing the back of my head. _"This chick seriously needs to get away from me quick. She's really starting to freak me out."_

"No problem!" Seryu exclaimed, as she saluted once again. "If you spot any illegal activities please come find me! I'll sniff it out, and destroy any evildoers."

"Ha ha, that's very reassuring." I said, starting to feel a little antsy around the garrison guard. _"Not reassuring at all."_

"Let's go **Koro** , I know you're hungry." Seryu said, as she took off running down the street. "How do five condemned criminals sound?"

 _"She's...feeding that thing...people?"_ I thought, feeling even more nauseous than before. _"She's dangerous and obviously has a few screws loose...I better warn the boss when we get back...Although, I can't shake the feeling that letting her go was a bad idea."_

Down the road Seryu ran with **Koro** in tow. The auburn-haired girl grit her teeth, as she tightened her grip on **Koro** 's leash. _"I know it's important to help those in need. But, I need to find Night Raid as soon as possible. The evil...that killed my master, Captain Ogre! Night Raid, I will never forgive them! I'll hunt them down, and get my revenge!"_

* * *

 ** _No fights in this chapter. Sorry!_**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	8. Chapter 8: Sheele

**Kill the Justice: Sheele 1**

Before we left for another mission, I gave everyone(Mine, Lubbock, Sayo, and Ieysayu)a hand-crafted mask—similar to the one Scorpion wore—to conceal their identities.

 **Elsewhere:**

"So this is the red light district, eh? Seems pretty exciting." I said, as I watched the crowds of people walking below me. The street the we were overlooking was lined with dozens of brothels and bars. The air was filled with smoke and laughter as men hopped from bar to bar and brothel to brothel.

"Your innocent reaction is just adorable." Leone said, ruffling the top of my hair. "Now then. I've got to work and pay back those debts. Transform! **Lionelle** " I watched in awe as Leone's body was bathed in brilliant golden flames. I watched as her hair elongated and cat ears appeared on top of her head. Then her hands turned into powerful claws and a tail snaked out of her back. The display was so impressive, that I couldn't help but clap. "Man! I always get so pumped when I'm like this!" Leone turned so that she could look at me. "Now Tatsumi before we get in there, remember what I've been teaching you the past few days."

"Of course!" I said with a wide grin, as I gave Leone a thumbs up.

* * *

Flashback:

"Alright Tatsumi we've got a very important mission coming up in a few days." Leone said, leading me onto the training field. "You're a skilled swordsmen almost on par with Akame, and you're a damn good shot who could could Mine a run for her money...But there's one skill you're almost abysmal at."

"And that is?" I asked, as I stopped in the middle of the training area. Before I had a chance to react, Leone lunged forward and grabbed my sword and pistol.

Leone said, tossing the weapons towards the other end of the training field, "What are you going to do if you're ever disarmed and there are no other weapons around? You need to learn hand-to-hand fighting, because honestly you're terrible at it."

"I guess you're right, I'm not that skilled when it comes to fist fights." I admitted, as I hung my head. But I was surprised when I felt a hand gently rest on top of my head. I looked up to see Leone smiling at me.

"Don't worry Tatsumi, I'll teach you everything you need to know." Leone said, sliding into a fighting stance. "When I'm done with you, you'll be able to kill a man with your bare hands."

"Alright! Teach me everything you know, Leone!" I cheered, as I took my own, somewhat sloppy, fighting stance—I always used a combination of the fighting stances of Sub-Zero, Jax, General Blade, Mr. Cage, Kenshi, and my teammates.

"Okay! Here I come Tatsumi! We're starting off with blocking! So prepare yourself!" Leone exclaimed, charging towards me. However, my lack of skill showed immidiately(Sure I defeated Shinnok, but all my fights in the future were still close calls). Leone's first attack, a harsh kick to my stomach, sent me flying across the training area. Leone sighed and cracked her knuckles. "Oh boy, you're in for a lot of pain Tatsumi because we have a loooooong way to go."

* * *

"Good." Leone said with a smile, as she scooped me up bridal style. "Now, we're going to sneak right in and kill the target, Tatsumi."

"Huh? What's going, Leone?" I asked in a confused tone, watching Leone crouch down. Before I had a chance to question anything else, Leone rocketed off the roof we were on. Wind whipped passed my face as Leone leaped from rooftop to rooftop at an incredible speed. In a matter of seconds Leone was in front of our targets building. Hugging me close, Leone crashed through a window on the building's top floor. Once she was inside, Leone stopped briefly to make sure she hadn't alerted any guards. After hearing nothing for a few moments, the busty blonde gently released me. Leone wiped the sweat off her brow and let out a sigh of relief. "Phew! We made it, no problem!"

"You call that sneaking?" I hissed, as I glared up at Leone. "At least warn me next time before you do something like that."

"Awww, but I liked holding you close like that." Leone pouted, causing a slight blush to spread across my face. Giggling at my reaction, Leone gestured to a loose floor panel. "Alright this way! We've got work to do!" I walked over and peered through the now open floor panel. On the floor below I saw a roomed filled with half naked girls and smoke. I immidiately recognized that the smoke was opium. Leone and I both covered our mouths and noses so we wouldn't inhale the drug. After a few moments, two men entered the room with the girls.

"Oh!" The man with an eyepatch said. "Very nice! Very nice indeed. If you girls earn good money we'll send around more 'medicine' for you!"

"Yes, sir!" All of the girls cooed in their drug induced states.

"Hm?" The second man muttered, feelings something tug on his pant leg. Looking down, he spotted one of the girls giggling hysterically and appearing to be barely conscious. "Boss...check this one out."

"Ah, that girl is no use to us now." The man with the eyepatch said, as he eyed the girl with disgust. "She smells like shit. She's obviously been completely broken."

"Gimme more!" The girl whined, tugging on the second man's pant leg again. "I want more!"

"Get rid of her." The boss said, as he shoved his hands into his pockets. "We can get a new girl to replace her in now time."

"Got it boss." The second man said, pulling out a switchblade and stabbing the girl in the neck. Up above, Leone tensed up as she watched the girl fall to the floor in a small pool of her own blood. The second man chuckled to himself, as he pulled out a rag and wiped off his blade. "Let's go make a call to those sluts in the slums."

"Of course, those dumb broads will do anything for money." The boss said with a disturbing smirk.

"Those men are monsters, just like the client said." I said, as I tightly clenched my fists. "They deserve a painful death."

"That girl he just killed..." Leone muttered darkly, her wild blonde hair hiding her eyes. "Was a friend of mine growing up." Leone growled and stood onto her feet. Punching a fist into her hand, Leone glared at the retreating men. "Now I'm pissed. Let's kill these sick bastards, quick!"

"Got it...I'll leave the one with the switchblade to you." I said, as I gripped the hilt of my sword. _"After hearing Sheele's story, I have no patience for narcotics."_

In the next room, the boss grinned as one of his henchmen handed him a drink. He released a content sigh as he sunk into his usual seat. Two girls walked up and hung off his arms; rubbing their large breasts against him.

"Boss..." The man who had killed Leone's friend said. "We should think about expanding our territory and area of operation."

"That sounds like an excellent idea." The boss said, taking a sip of his drink. "I'll talk to Sir Chibul tomorrow." As soon as the words left the boss' mouth, the ceiling to the room exploded open, and two figures dropped into the room.

"The only place you're going..." Leone and I said in unison. "Is hell!"

"A-Assassins!" The boss yelled, as he pointed at Leone and me. "Get them!" Immidiately a dozen guards charged towards us.

"Let me handle them." I said, unsheathing my sword and sprinting towards the henchmen. The I made quick work of the first three guards, easily stabbing and slashing my way through them. Keeping my momentum, I unholstered my pistol and took out four more guards with precision shots to their heads and vital organs. However, while I was busy shooting the henchmen another guard snuck up on me. I managed to raise his sword to block the guard's attack, but the guard's strike was far stronger than I expected, which caused me to drop my sword. Reacting quickly, I raised my pistol and pulled the trigger...but nothing happened. I had run out of ammo in the clip. The guard waisted no time, and lunged towards me with his blade ready. _"Remember Leone, and Mr. Cage's training!"_ I grabbed the guard's wrist to stop his attack, then in one swift motion brought my palm up into the guard's elbow. The guard howled in pain as his arm was shattered from the powerful strike. Using my new advantage, I did a split, punched the guy in the crotch(Destroying his balls(A move I learned from the Cages)), grabbed the guard's sword and impaled him with it. I let out a shaky breath, eight bodies on the ground around me.

 _"Holy shit! He killed eight of them in less than thirty seconds!"_ Leone thought, as she stared at me in awe. As Leone stared at me, a second wave of guards surrounded her. "Well, I can't let Tatsumi have all of the fun." Leone had a feral grin on her face as she cracked her neck. "Our target is this whole disgusting drug trafficking ring, so you're all guilty." The guards nodded at each other, and all charged Leone at once. "So I'll kill you all in one go." A look of pure pleasure was on Leone's face, as she took out three guards with one series of attacks. Then, in one fluent motion, Leone whipped her leg around. Her foot slammed into one guard's side, which sent him crashing into three more henchmen. With the monumental strength granted by **Lionelle** , Leone's kick sent the four guards flying across the room and crashing into the wall; killing them all instantly.

"Y-You g-gotta be fucking kidding me." The guard with the switchblade yelled, pulling out a gun and aiming at Leone. "You ain't killin' me that easily!"

"No! You'll be even easier to kill!" I exclaimed, as I shot forward. I used the stolen blade to chop the guard's hand off. The guard roared in pain, clutching his arm as it sprayed blood. "Finish him off, Leone!" I kicked the guard towards the blonde assassin.

"Payback's a bitch." Leone said coldly, as she lifted the guard off the ground by his neck. The last thing the man saw was Leone's fierce golden eyes, before the busty blonde snapped his neck with ease. Leone then stalked towards the drug trafficker's boss. The man began to back up in fear until he ran into the wall behind him. When she reached the boss, Leone tightly gripped his throat and lifted him into the air.

"W-What are you after?!" The boss exclaimed, struggling to breath. "Is it money!? Drugs!? I've give you anything you want! Just let me live!"

"Oh, I so hate when scum beg for their lives." Leone said, as she cocked her fist back. "The only thing I want is your life."

"W-What are you?!" The boss asked, his face starting to turn purple from lack of air.

"I'm just a good-for-nothing." Leone said, as her fist shot forward; piercing straight through the man's stomach. The drug trafficker immidiately vomited a large amount of blood when Leone pulled her bloody fist from his stomach. The man staggered for a moment, before he fell forward into a puddle of his own blood. "That's why I get rid of trash like you."

"Come on Leone..." I said, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. "Let's free those girls...and bury your friend."

* * *

 **30 Minutes Later:**

"That doctor you knew in the slums sure seemed nice." I said, as I shoved my hands into my coat pocket.

"Yeah, he's pretty good for an old pervert." Leone said, walking with her hands behind her head. "He loves young girls, so he was thrilled to help them. With his help they can probably get over their drug addictions, and eventually maybe live normal lives."

"Heh, you're such a big softie, Leone." I said with a grin, as I mock-punched Leone in the shoulder.

"It was just because my friend was amongst those girls." Leone said, scratching the back of her head.

"Your reason doesn't matter. So long as you gave those girls some hope." I said, which caused Leone's golden eyes to widen. "Now, onto finding the others." Once again, I used my Edenian genes to break the speed of sound.

* * *

 **Same Time; Park in the Capital:**

"Damn that Chibul guy had way too much protection." Mine complained, as she sprinted through on of the capital's parks with Sayo and Sheele beside her.

"Well, at least we completed the matter safely." Sheele said, turning to smile at Sayo. "That was quite an impressive shot Sayo. I didn't know you could use a bow so effectively."

"Yeah, I was the best shot in my whole village. My father was a competitive archer and taught me everything he knew." Sayo said, as she slung her bow over her shoulder. "I used to do a lot of the hunting for our village, so I was really able to hone my skills."

"I'm glad I had a few specialty arrows lying around." Mine said, glancing at Sayo's full quiver. "Those incendiary arrows really came in handy."

"It was pretty smart to use the fire as a way to block the guards while we-" Sheele was cut off when someone crashed into the ground in front of them. The three members of Night Raid all leaped back to put some distance between themselves and the possible threat. "Is it an enemy?!"

"Who is she..." Mine thought, noticing that the girl was wearing the armor of a garrison guard. "I didn't sense her presence at all...she's completely different from the other guards..."

"I knew it..." The girl said in a dark tone. "You're definitely Sheele from the wanted posters...You're a member of Night Raid! And judging by your friend's **Imperial Arms** , they're members of Night Raid as well! I knew waiting until nightfall would prove fruitful...At last..." A maniacal smile spread across the auburn-haired girl's face. "At long last, I've found Night Raid!" The girl let out a sadistic laugh. "I am with the capital garrison! Seryu Ubiquitous! In the name of justice...I sentence you all to death!"

"Sayo..." Mine said, as she glanced at the dark-haired girl. "You know what to do."

"Right!" Sayo exclaimed, running and leaping into the nearby treeline; seemingly vanishing into the darkness.

"She won't get away, you know?" Seryu said, as she glared at Mine. "After I kill you two, **Koro** and I will hunt her down."

"Oh, she's not running away." Mine clarified, a grin spreading across her hidden face as she unslung **Pumpkin** off her back. "She's just getting ready to attack...Because now that you've seen our faces...you either join us or die."

"There's no way I'm taking you three in alive." Seryu said, as she pointed at Mine and Sheele. "I will eliminate all of you!" Seryu's eyes hardened as she stared at the assassins. "My father died fighting evildoers like you! And your group killed my master and captain! I will never forgive you!"

"Then, you're willing to fight us. Fine by me..." Mine said, rotating **Pumpkin** 's barrel, so that it fired in fully automatic. Without warning, Mine opened fire on Seryu. "Those who make the first move are victorious!" However, Mine was surprised when Seryu made no attempt to dodge her volley of fire. "Did I get her?" When the smoke cleared it revealed that **Koro** had enlarged itself and acted as a shield, which absorbed all of Mine's shots. "Tch, figures...things can never be easy."

"Mine, that's an **Imperial Arms**!" Sheele exclaimed, as she unsheathed her **Extase**.

"Yeah, and it's a biological type as well..." Mine said with an annoyed huff. "This is gonna be tough."

"Eat this!" Seryu yelled, raising two tonfa guns and opening fire on the assassins. But Mine and Sheele were prepared for this, and retreated to a safer distance. "Tch, they're too far away for these to be effective." Seryu then turned to her **Imperial Arms**. " **Koro**! Prey!" The biological weapon roared as it raced towards Sheele, it's massive mouth open revealing rows of razor sharp teeth. But Sheele remained calm and stood her ground. Suddenly, a silent whistling sound filled the air, then something impacted the side of **Koro** 's head. Upon closer inspection, Seryu realized that the object was an arrow. The arrow in **Koro** 's head began to flash rapidly, before it exploded. _"Explosive arrows! That other girl must have retreated into the trees so that she could fire at us without being seen!"_ With a portion of its head missing, **Koro** staggered backwards. Sheele took this opportunity and chopped it in half with her **Extase**.

"I'm sorry..." Sheele said, as she stalked towards Seryu. But instead of showing fear, Seryu grinned wildly. There was a sudden rumbling behind Sheele, and she turned to see that **Koro** was back onto its feet, and it looked extremely upset. But before the **Imperial Arms** could attack, Mine blasted it, at near point blank range. **Koro** was sent flying forward by Mine's attack.

"Remember Sheele..." Mine said, running up to the purple-haired woman. "Biological ones have hidden cores somewhere in their bodies. They keep regenerating until you destroy them."

"What a pain." Sheele said, as she adjusted her glasses.

" **Koro**. Arms." Seryu ordered, immidiately huge, muscular arms replaced **Koro** 's usual stubby arms.

"God, that's just wrong..." Mine said, as she cringed at **Koro** 's hideous appearance. "We only have one option now, Sheele."

"Got it." Sheele said, taking a defensive stance.

" **Koro**! Crush them!" Seryu yelled, as she pointed at both assassins. **Koro** charged towards Sheele and Mine, unleashing a barrage of attacks as it ran.

"Stay behind me, Mine!" Sheele exclaimed, sliding in front of Mine and raising **Extase**. The purple-haired woman grit her teeth as she used the giant scissors as a shield to block **Koro** 's attacks. "Hurry up Sayo! I need some help here!" Suddenly a piercing whistle sounded throughout the park.

"Reinforcements will be here in less than five minutes! It's all over for you Night Raid!" Seryu yelled with a crazy smile, as she lowered the whistle from her lips. However, Seryu screamed in pain when an arrow suddenly pierced her right hand, causing her to drop the whistle. The garrison guard hissed as she ripped the arrow out of her hand. "You bitch! Get out here and fight us! Stop hiding in the shadows!"

"First this bastard is unleashing a whirlwind of attacks, and now she's called for backup." Mine said, her eyes filling with determination. "Looks like we're in a real pinch now. Let's do this!" Mine leaped into the air and aimed **Pumpkin** at **Koro**. As if on cue another arrow struck **Koro** , but this time it was an incendiary arrow. The arrow struck **Koro** , and bathed the biological **Imperial Arms** in intense flames. **Koro** howled in pain and stumbled backwards, as the flames cooked it alive. With **Koro** away from Sheele, Mine fired a massive beam of energy at the **Imperial Arms**. The combination of the fire and Mine's attack kicked up a large amount of smoke and debris.

"Her firepower increased!?" Seryu yelled in disbelief, as she watched chunks of **Koro** 's body fly off. "But..."

"Dammit!" Mine grunted, landing back onto the ground. "That thing is already regenerating...what a pain in the ass!"

"Don't underestimate the durability of **Imperial Arms**!" Seryu exclaimed in a cocky tone.

"Ah, but **Imperial Arms** are simply tools." Sheele said, as she burst out of the smoke next to Seryu. "If I take out the user, it'll stop!"

Fight

 _"She and that other girl have been gunning for me since the start!"_ Seryu thought, backing away from Sheele.

 _"I'll finish her with my **Trump Card**!"_ Sheele thought, as she raised her **Extase**. The giant scissors suddenly began to glow with blinding light. " **Ecstasy**!"

"A golden light!" Seryu yelled, raising her hand to block the intense light. "What the hell is this!?"

"It is the end for you!" Sheele shouted, as she stabbed her scissors at Seryu. However, the garrison guard managed to block all of Sheele's strikes, just barely. "She's quite strong!" **Koro** tried to help its master, but it was stopped when Mine shot a hole through its side.

"No sweetie, your fight is with me." Mine said, blowing the smoke off the end of **Pumpkin** 's barrel. "I'm letting you go anywhere." Releasing a calming breath, Mine took aim once again. _"Now that I'm not in as much of a pinch, I can't finish this bastard off...But with Sayo's help I should be able to keep him occupied...and through process of elimination I think I've found where this thing's core is."_

"You're mine!" Sheele exclaimed, as she gave a particularly powerful thrust with her **Extase**. The strike was enough to knock Seryu off balance, and cause her to drop her tonfa guns.

"Damn!" Seryu screamed, seeing that Sheele's scissors were coming in for the kill. Seeing no other option, Seryu raised her arms to block the attack. With a sickening sound, both of Seryu's arms were severed clean off. The auburn-haired girl screamed in pain, as her arms gushed blood.

 _"She may have sacrificed her arms, but this next attack will finish her!"_ Sheele thought, as she sprinted in for the finishing blow.

"You will be..." Seryu yelled hysterically, raising one of her stump arms. Sheele's eyes widened when a gun barrel sprouted where Seryu's arm used to be. "Served justice!"

 _"Bionic upgrades!?"_ Sheele thought, as she prepared to use **Extase** to block the shot.

"This is a trick Captain Ogre taught me!" Seryu roared, aiming for Sheele's head. "Eat this!" But before Seryu could shoot, another quiet whistling sound rang out. A moment later, an arrow pierced Seryu's shoulder, which caused her shot to go wild. "Gaaaaah! I fucking hate you! When I get my hands on you...I will feed you to **Koro** piece by piece! I'll take my sweet time hacking all of your limbs until you're just a bloody stump!"

"Shut up." Sheele said cold, as she sliced the bionic upgrade in half. "It's over now..."

Sheele wins-Flawless Victory

"I'm not finished yet..." Seryu said, struggling to sit upright. _"When he uses it, he overheats, and can't move for months...but I have to use it!"_ Seryu grinned wickedly and turned to her **Imperial Arms**. " **Koro**... **Berserker**!" The biological let out a deafening roar as its body began to morph and change. **Koro** 's body became even more muscular, and took on a blood red hue. The result, somehow, became even more intimidating than before. Once its transformation was complete, **Koro** released a roar so powerful, that it caused Sheele, Mine, and even Sayo to cover their ears.

 _"Damn it, this bitch had a hidden ability too!"_ Mine thought, barely able to think with **Koro** 's piercing wail assaulting her ears. But Mine was so distracted by **Koro** 's roar that she couldn't stop herself from being captured by the beast. "Gah!" Mine grunted in pain as **Koro** 's fist tightly wrapped around her small body.

"Mine!" Both Sheele and Sayo yelled simultaneously.

 _"I have to do something!"_ Sayo thought, as she reached for an arrow. But Sayo cursed when she realized she only had one arrow left, and it was an explosive one. "Mine's way to close! She'd get caught in the explosion! Sheele, it's all up to you!"

"Crush that pink-haired bitch! I want to see her pop!" Seryu yelled in an insane voice, a crazy smile on her face. **Koro** followed his master's order, and began to crush Mine to death. Mine screamed when she felt her left arm shatter. The pain was so intense that tears began to fall from Mine's eyes. "Good! Kill her!"

"Keep your hands off my friend!" Sheele screamed, using Extase to slice through both of Koro's arms. Mine crashed into the ground battered and beaten, but alive. "Looks like I made it in time."

"Thank you, Sheele." Mine said, as she clutched her broken arm. But Mine's relief was shot lived, as a gunshot rang out. Mine's eyes widened when she saw blood spraying from Sheele's chest. "No! No! No! No! NOOOOO!" Off to the side a manically smiling Seryu laughed, as a still smoking gun barrel poked out of her mouth.

"My body...won't move..." Sheele muttered weakly, feeling her entire body go numb. The purple-haired woman could faintly hear rumbling footsteps approaching, and she knew that **Koro** would attack her any second.

"Justice...has been served!" Seryu shouted, as **Koro** moved in to finish Sheele off.

 _"What do I do!?"_ Sayo panicked, clutching the explosive arrow in her hand. _"If I fire Sheele will be taken out by the explosion, and there's no way I can get close enough to attack with my sword!"_ Sayo's mind raced as she came to a grim realization. _"I'd rather Sheele die a quick and painless death than be eaten by that thing!"_ With her mind made up, Sayo quickly readied her explosive arrow. As Sayo took aim, she could swear she Sheele nod her head and smile. _"I'm so sorry Sheele...Mine! Tatsumi! Please forgive me!"_ With tears streaming down her cheeks, Sayo let the explosive arrow fly.

When I was only ten yards away, just then, I broke the speed of light(it was a one-time thing), and got Sheele out of the way, as the explosive arrow pierced **Koro** 's eye, and the detonation blew up its head. "That was a close one!" However, grabbing Sheele caused her to drop **Extase**. "Agh, forget it! Come on!" Seryu's reinforcements had just come.

 _"Shit! I have to move!"_ Sayo thought, grabbing three flash grenades out of her pack. With speed she didn't know she had, Sayo leaped out of the tree and raced towards Mine. Sayo pulled the pins on the grenades and hurled them towards the approaching guards. Mine saw the grenades land and quickly shielded her eyes. The grenades went off in a blinding flash of light that rivaled the Sun. With the guards blinded and stunned, Sayo threw Mine onto her back and sprinted off back into the treeline. As both assassins escaped, Sayo couldn't stop the tears that fell down her cheeks. "Mine...Sheele's alive!"

Mine turned her head to see me, "Tatsumi..."

I put my finger where my lips were, "Let her rest."

* * *

Back in the park, the newly arrived guards were finally able to see again. Immidiately the guards began to investigate the area. After some searching, all the guards found of Sheele were **Extase** , a puddle of blood, and some scorch marks.

"Damn, what a fucking mess." A guard commented, observing the bloodied and battered park. The guard then turned to the auburn-haired girl who was sitting against her **Imperial Arms**. "Hey, Seryu, you okay?!" But the guard cringed when all her received in reply was insane laughter.

"HAHAHA! Daddy..." Seryu said, as she raised her two stump arms towards the sky. "I defeated a villain! I shed the light of justice on the world! AHAHAHAHAHA!" Suddenly **Koro** whined and Seryu turned to her **Imperial Arms**. "I'm sorry **Koro** , that masked bastard didn't leave anything for you to eat. Don't worry you'll get to taste Night Raid flesh someday."

* * *

 **Back at the base:**

I had just put Sheele in her bed.

"Tatsumi...I'm sorry...you had to..."

"Don't be...we're a team."

* * *

 **Outside:**

"Wait." Najenda said, stopping me before I could do anything rash. "What are you planning Tatsumi?"

"What else!?" I exclaimed, as I turned to glare at Najenda. "I'm gonna train my ass off! We all are!"

* * *

 **Same Time; Skies to the South of the Capital:**

A woman with pale blue hair smiled, as the danger beast she was riding neared the capital. Esdeath relished in the thought of fighting new prey. Night Raid, hopefully we would prove to be worthy foes. "Capital, I'm home."

* * *

 _ **Sheele doesn't die, but she is temporarily incapacitated. Yes, Tatsumi broke the speed of light; but earlier, he broke the sound barrier. He was only able to crank it up like that only once.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	9. Chapter 9: Tatsumi 4

**Kill the Three Beasts Part 1: Tatsumi 4(part 1)**

Four days had passed since Sheele's incapacitation, and Night Raid's members were still recovering from the devastating loss of **Extase**. However, we were assassins, and we had a very important job to do. So even with one of our members in bed rest, life went on. Mine's right arm had been broken by **Koro** , which meant someone had to help her with most daily tasks. This also meant that she was banned from any training or strenuous activities until her arm was healed. Sayo had also been slightly traumatized by the events of the horrible night. It was the new assassin's first mission, and she already had to make a horrible and desperate decision. Najenda had ordered Sayo to take some time off to recuperate and come to terms with what she had done. But the silver-haired woman didn't like how upset Sayo looked, so she discretely ordered that one person monitor her at all times and stop her from doing anything rash.

 _"I can't believe that I managed to pull it off..."_ I thought, my emerald eyes were filled with sadness as I chopped fruit for lunch. _"I know that dangers that come with this job...and that any of us can die at any moment...but I never thought anyone would actually come so close...Damn it!"_

I released a heavy sigh when I heard Mine yell from behind me. The pinkette was trying to eat with her one good arm, but her dominant arm had been broken so it was difficult for her to hold her spoon steady. Every time Mine would try to eat her food, her hand would start to shake and she would drop whatever was in her spoon. "Why'd my right arm have to break!?"

"Here Mine." Akame said, scooping up some food and offering it to Mine.

"I don't need you to feed me, so just leave me alone." Mine said, as she let out an annoyed huff. "I'm not a child."

"I know you're not a child, but it's starting to get cold Mine...and Tatsumi made this just for you." Akame said in a sympathetic tone, once again offering Mine the spoonful of food. At the mention of my name, Mine glanced at me, then back at the food on her plate.

"Tatsumi did go out of his way to make me this...he even made everything just the way I like it." Mine thought, as she clenched her good fist. "I don't want to be rude...it's not like I'm happy that he made food just for me or anything..." Sighing in defeat, Mine leaned forward and opened her mouth. "Fine."

"Thank you." Akame said with a small smile, placing the spoonful of food into Mine's mouth.

 _"Even though Sheele was badly injured...Akame acts as cool and collected as before..."_ I thought, as I watched Akame feed Mine out of the corner of my eye. _"But I know she's hurting on the inside...everyone is..."_ I suddenly stopped cutting and looked down at my hand in disgust, the same hand Seryu had held when she lead me through the slums. _"That girl...I knew there was something off about her...I should have followed my gut and taken her out when I had the chance...Then maybe...No, I can't think like that. Sheele wouldn't want me blaming myself for what happened..."_ I grit my teeth and tightly balled my fist. _"Now...I truly remember how dangerous this line of work is."_

* * *

 **Imperial Palace:**

"General Esdeath." The young emperor said, looking down at the woman before him. "I must commend you on your conquest of the North. As a reward, I'll offer you ten thousand gold pieces."

"Thank you very much, emperor." Esdeath said, smiling up at the young boy. "I will humbly accept your reward, and send it to my soldiers who I left behind to guard the North. They will be most pleased." Esdeath bowed her head once again. "My emperor, I've heard rumors about insurgents possessing **Imperial Arms**. The best way to fight **Imperial Arms**...is with **Imperial Arms**. Please gather six **Imperial Arms** users for me to lead. That is all that I will need." The emperor's eyes widened when Esdeath said this. "I will create a security squad of **Imperial Arms** users."

"But don't you already have three **Imperial Arms** users; your Three Beasts? You need six more on top of that?" The emperor asked, as he quirked an eyebrow.

"Your highness, there's no need to worry. Simply grant Esdeath any of her requests." The minster said, shoveling a greasy piece of meat into his mouth.

"Hmmm, if you say so then I won't worry." The emperor said, as he nodded his head.

"Excellent. I will make the necessary arrangements at once." The minister said, a sinister smirk spreading across his face. _"Esdeath has no interest in political power. All she cares about is fighting and crushing her opponents. With me in charge, she can run as wild as she wants. She's my ultimate trump card in this game!"_

"I don't think gold is enough for all of your efforts. I wish to reward you with something more." The emperor said, as he smiled at Esdeath. "Is there anything else you desire? A title? Land? Name anything you want, and I will do my best to obtain it for you."

"Well...if I had to choose something..." Esdeath said, a small smile on her face. "I'd like to find love."

"That makes sense!" The emperor exclaimed, pounding his fist into his palm. "You're at the marrying age, and you're still single."

"But don't you already have dozens of men falling at your feet?" The minister asked, as he gave Esdeath a skeptical look.

"Those are all merely...pets." Esdeath replied, chuckling under her breath.

"Well then, I'll have fun playing matchmaker!" The emperor said, as he gestured towards the Minister. "What about the minister here? He's a good man." The Minister nearly choked on the food he was eating when he heard this.

"That is true, but..." Esdeath said, trying to hide the amusement on her face. "The Minister has extremely high blood pressure. I fear he might not last much longer."

"How rude..." The Minister said, his voice full of irritation. "I'm in perfect health."

"I've prepared a list..." Esdeath said, pulling a piece of paper out from between her breasts. "It's full of my criteria for my ideal man. If find anyone who satisfies my standards, then let me know."

"Very well then." The emperor said, as a servant handed him Esdeath's list. "I'll look over this, and get to work immidiately."

* * *

 **Two Hours Later; Night Raid's Hidden Base:**

"Damn it, I can't sleep." I muttered to myself, walking through the base's quiet hallways. I glanced out the window at the falling rain. I suddenly shivered as he wrapped a coat around myself. "*Sigh* Might as well get some water and head back to sleep." However, when I entered the kitchen, I was surprised find to someone else already there. "Akame?" I was also surprised to see that Akame was holding a plate of dango. "Getting a midnight snack?"

"No..." Akame replied solemnly, as she stared down at the sweets on her plate. "These...are Sheele's favorite...She's an airhead...but she's the kindest person of all of us."

"I know." I said, a sad smile spreading across my face. "You know Akame..." I said, noticing that the red-eyed assassin was trembling slightly. "There's no one else around...so you don't have to act calm and tough anymore...you can cry if you want to..." Akame's eyes widened momentarily before tears started to stream down her cheeks. The sound of Akame's plate shattering on the floor filled the kitchen, as she embraced me in tight hug. Akame latched onto me while she sobbed into my chest.

"I've seen so many people die..." Akame said in between sobs. I wrapped my arms around her head and held her close. "But...I almost lost one of my precious comrades! I'll never get used to this pain! It's so hard sometimes Tatsumi...I want to cry...I want to help Sheele more...but I can't let my feelings affect our next mission! So I have to put on a strong face! We work in the shadows! So if we can't handle losses like this then we're going to die!" Akame's voice suddenly dropped to a low whisper. "But if you died Tatsumi...I don't know what I'd do. I don't think I could go on if I had to bury you too."

"Akame..." I said, cupping Akame's cheeks so that she could look up at me. I smiled as I wiped the tears from her eyes. "It wouldn't be the first time."

"Tatsumi..." Akame breathed out.

"I revived a millennium from here; I became a captain for a Special Forces team. We actually saved the world from the fallen god himself, Shinnok; or, rather, I saved the world. It was thanks to a Green Halo I obtained from the Cage family; the power to fight gods, and win. I've earned a reward from the highest-powered entities; the Elder Gods, to bring you guys to the future with me." I pulled out the amulet the Elder Gods gave me when I arrived—I forgot to mention that every time I saved one of the people depicted on it, that picture flipped over—"This is the proof."

Akame, "Promise me, you won't die this time."

"I promise..."

* * *

 **The Next Morning; Night Raid's Hidden Base**

"RAAAAGH!" I roared, as I charged towards Akame. Both of us clashed our practice swords, and began to push the other back. At first, it seemed like Akame had the advantage, but her eyes widened when I suddenly began to overpower her. With one last strong push, I sent Akame skidding backwards. I didn't give Akame time to recover, as I rushed in to finish her off. But Akame wouldn't be defeated so easily. The red-eyed assassin dug her feet into the ground to stop herself, and raced towards me. Once again, Akame and I crossed swords, and battled for dominance. However, this time Akame was prepared for my new strength. The battle was at a stalemate for a few moments, but Akame came out ahead when she kicked out one of my legs. I grunted as I fell down to one knee. When I looked up, Akame's sword was in my face.

"Impressive...very impressive." Akame said with a small smile on her face. "You almost had me there."

"Again..." I breathed out, standing up on weary legs. I was panting heavily and looked like I was on the verge of collapse. "One more time, Akame!"

"Tatsumi, you should really take a break." Akame said, as she lowered her weapon. The red-eyed assassin was worried I might actually faint, because I was pushing myself so hard. "I don't want you passing out from sheer exhaustion."

"I can't rest now." I said, wiping the sweat from his brow. "Don't worry about me Akame, I'm fine. I promised you, right? That you'd never have to mourn me? For me to keep that promise and to brighten our future, I need to become stronger. So please, come at me as if this were a real fight." I readied my practice sword and sprinted towards Akame. "Here I come!" However, I never saw a punch to my face that came out of nowhere. I looked up to see Bulat grinning at me. "What the hell, Bro?!"

"Nice reflexes Tatsumi." Bulat complimented in sarcasm, as he crossed his arms over his broad chest. "You said you wanted this to be like a real fight, so I thought I'd throw in obstacles to make sure you were paying attention to your surroundings. It's good to see that you were paying attention, because an enemy can come from anywhere at anytime." Bulat quirked an eyebrow as he watched me dust myself off. "You're way more into this than usual...what's up?"

"Nothing really..." I replied, stopping briefly to catch my breath. "I just want get stronger as fast as possible..." I turned to smile at Akame. "I did promise Akame that I'd survive not matter what, and that we'd welcome in the new empire together. And I intend to keep that promise."

 _"Tatsumi..."_ Akame thought, as her heart began to beat faster. The red-eyed assassin clutched a hand over her heart, a slight blush marking her cheeks.

"Now that is manly!" Bulat exclaimed, slapping me on the back hard enough to make me stumble forward. "You're really growing up, Tatsumi!" Bulat whipped me around so that I could look him in the eyes. "If you want to become stronger than team up with me!" Bulat smiled brightly and gestured to himself with his thumb. "I'll train you the right way!"

"Bro..." I breathed out, as I felt inspired by Bulat's words. I turned to Akame, wordlessly asking for her permission to go.

"*Sigh* Go on..." Akame said, a small smile spreading across her face. "I'm pretty beat anyways, so you can take over Bulat."

"Alright! Our first lesson starts right now!" Bulat yelled, as he grabbed a spear. "Now follow me, Tatsumi!"

"I'm right behind you, Bro!" I cheered, chasing after Bulat.

* * *

 **The Next Night; Night Raid's Hidden Base:**

"Good, you're all here." Najenda said, as she took her usual seat in Night Raid's meeting room. "I have some bad news for your all, so brace yourselves." Najenda leaned forward and raised one finger. "The first, we've lost contact with our regional team."

"Regional team?" Sayo repeated with a confused look on her face.

"The empire is quite vast." Akame explained, crossing her arms underneath her chest. "We focus our efforts on the capital, but there's other assassin teams that work throughout the region."

"We're investigating it now, but it's most likely that they were all wiped out." Najenda said, a solemn look on everyone's face. "Prepare yourselves for that possibility."

"We should definitely bolster our bases defenses." Lubbock suggested, earning a quick nod from Najenda. "Okay, I'll expand the are of my threads." Lubbock then turned to grin at me. "You can help me too, put those skills I taught you to use."

"Alright, we can start after the meeting is over." I said, as I put my hands in my pockets. "I've been itching to make some traps of my own."

"Now that our enhanced defenses are settled, let's continue with our previous discussion." Najenda said, her eyes hardening. "Esdeath has finished squashing the resistance in the North...and has returned to the capital."

Ieysayu looked terrified, "Esdeath?! Who's Esdeath?!"

 _"Esdeath..."_ I thought, as I rubbed my chin. _"How could I forget her?"_

"That was much quicker than we anticipated." Akame said, releasing a light sigh. "That woman sure is troublesome."

"Yeah, she's always been a thorn in our side." Lubbock said, as he scratched the side of his head in irritation. "Every move we make she somehow hinders us."

"Fortunately it seems like most of Esdeath's men have stayed up North to keep order." Najenda said, resting her head on her fist.

"Then she won't be making her move to crush the rebel army any time soon." Bulat said, as he shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no clue what she's planning next, but I have a bad feeling that we're somehow involved." Najenda said, taking out a cigarette and placing it in her mouth. "Right now she's spends her days and nights in the torture chambers instructing the guards on her methods." Pulling out her lighter, Najenda turned to Leone. "You have a special job, Leone. Go to the capital and find out what Esdeath is planning."

"I got it!" Leone cheered, as she pumped her fist in the air. "I've always been curious as to what kind of person she is."

Me, "Careful what you wish for."

"She's an extremely dangerous enemy, who's guilty of mass murder on an epic scale." Najenda warned, slightly biting into the end of her cigarette. "So, please be careful."

"With Sheele and Mine in their current state, this won't be easy."

"I got it, I got it." Leone said, as she shook her head. _"Heh heh, then that means...she's someone I can take out if the I have the chance. The despicable, sadistic general they call the 'empire's strongest.' She's just as worthy of death as the Minister!"_ Leone was shaken from her thoughts when she felt a sudden tug on her arm. She looked down to see me staring at her, worry in my eyes.

"The boss is right, Leone..." I whispered, my grip on the blonde's arm tightening slightly. "I have a bad feeling about Esdeath...so please be careful. If sense any danger don't hesitate to retreat."

"How can I say no to that face?" Leone said, as she held me close. "Don't worry Tatsumi, I'll be cautious and I will fall back if I sense anything wrong. I won't be dying any time soon, so you don't have anything to fear."

"Thank you, Leone." I said, smiling up at my blonde friend.

"The final thing is..." Najenda said, as she raised a third finger. "There have been a string of murders targeting civil servants in the capital. So far, four civil servants have been killed...along with over sixty of their guards and family members." Najenda reached into her shirt and pulled out a piece of paper with Night Raid's insignia on it. "The main problem is these fliers with 'Night Raid' written on them have been scattered around the crime scenes."

"They're so obviously imposters, it's quite laughable really." Bulat said, crossing his arms over his chest. "They must be trying to pin the murders on us."

"But people aren't stupid enough to fall for this, are they?" Ieysayu asked, as he glanced at the paper in Najenda's hand. "I mean, this totally isn't our style, taking credit for our work like that."

"It was like that at first." Najenda said, releasing a heavy sigh. "But now, more and more people are starting to believe the rumors. With each incident the strongest guards were all killed. The latest victim, former minister Chouri, lost almost thirty of his most powerful guards...and nearly his daughter, who was trained at the Temple of the Imperial Fist. People believe that we're the only ones who could possibly do this much damage and get away with it."

"So our opponents equal us in strength." Akame mused, as she rubbed her chin. "That must mean they possess **Imperial Arms**." Akame hung her head as she lost herself in thought. _"Such powerful enemies...could it possibly be my sister Kurome?"_ As if on cue, Akame felt a strong hand squeeze her shoulder.

"It's not her." She looked up to see me smiling at her. My warm smile caused a wave of comfort and reassurance to wash over Akame.

"All of these victims were innocent men and women who simply didn't like the way the minister was running the empire. Which made them all people the minister would despise." Najenda explained, lighting her cigarette and taking a long drag. "Which means the minister had them killed...and is blaming us for it."

"They're trying to lure us in to a fight...not a bad strategy." Bulat said, as he nodded his head.

"None of the victims had any affiliation with the rebel army. They were all simply concerned for their country." Najenda said, tightly balling her fists. "All of them were the sort of civil servants we'd need in our new nation. We can't afford to lose anymore people like them. I think we need to find these imposters and grind them into dust! Let me hear your thoughts!"

"I...I don't know anything about politics but..." I said, as I clenched my fist; a look of fiery determination in my eyes. "Just the fact that they're abusing Night Raid's name for their dirty work...and disrespecting Sheele...it pisses me off!"

"Bingo!" Bulat cheered with a toothy grin. "You said it, Tatsumi!" Following my and Bulat's exclamations, the rest of Night Raid joined together in a cheer.

"Good, then everything is in order!" Najenda said, standing up from her seat. "We'll show these bastards what happens when you use an assassin's name without permission...and disgrace our fallen comrades!" Slinging on her jacket, Najenda turned to face her assassins. "There are five civil servants who are likely the next targets. But of those five, based on who is leaving the palace, we've managed to narrow it down to two choices. Team One will be Akame, Lubbock, and Sayo."

"You think I'm ready, boss?" Sayo asked sheepishly, as she nervously rubbed her arm.

"Yes, you're ready..." Najenda said, smiling softly at Sayo. "Plus, you'll have Akame and Lubbock with you...so there's no need to worry."

"Yes, boss!" Sayo exclaimed, as she saluted to Najenda.

"Alright, then Team Two will be Bulat and Tatsumi. Both teams will guard their respective target." Najenda said, taking one last puff of her cigarette before stomping it out.

"Where's our civil servant located?" I asked, as I quirked an eyebrow.

"A giant luxury passenger ship docked at the Grand Canal. The Dragon Ship."

 _"So, it's the three beasts."_

* * *

 **The Next Day; Grand Canal:**

"Damn, that is one huge ship." I muttered, walking up the gangway towards the towering ship. None of the other passengers and guests could see it, but Bulat was actually walking in front of me; the large man was invisible thanks to **Incursio**. I groaned in annoyance as I adjusted my tie. Because I was going undercover, I had to blend in with the partygoers that were attending the Dragon Ship's launch ceremony. Finally making my way onto the deck, I immidiately began to blend in with the large crowd. Carefully making my way through the crowd, I stopped when I saw a table full of drinks and food. "I am kinda nervous right now." As I observed the elegantly dressed partygoers one person stuck out to me, but I only managed to get a quick glimpse of the person. From what I saw, the person appeared to be a younger boy, but what struck me as odd was that the boy had a small devil's tail and horn, and was clutching a box close to his chest. _"Hmm, that kid was Nyau."_ Releasing a light sigh, I took a sip of my drink. "Man this is actually a pretty ritzy party." I jumped slightly when I felt a hand suddenly pat my back, but when I turned around, no one was there.

"You're posing as the son of a wealthy landowner, so don't act so impressed by the capital's wealth." Bulat said quietly, still invisible with **Incursio** 's help. "You have to act the part so you won't stick out."

"Yeah, you're right Bro." I muttered, as I rubbed the back of I head. _"Just remember what Mine taught me. I have to blend in and not draw unwanted attention to myself."_

By now the party was starting to make its way inside the ship. I lingered behind to give the capital once last look before the boat departed on its maiden journey. Glancing down, I spotted a large crowd had gathered around the docks to watch the ship as it set sail. Sighing, I turned around and leaned against the ship's railing.

"We're assuming that the Night Raid imposters might attack here...but this place is seriously packed." I said, glancing at the last of the guests that were pilling into ship's insides. "Plus the old man we're supposed to be protecting is surrounded by a small army of guards." Checking around to make sure no one was looking, I reached back and pulled out the pistol I had concealed in between my pants and shirt. Instead of my normal pistol, I had opted to take a larger caliber revolver on this particular mission. I had only fired this gun a handful of times, but I knew it packed a mean punch. The weapon's only downsides were its six round ammo capacity and its high recoil. But with my practice, I wasn't worried about the revolver's recoil anymore. Flicking open the chamber, I made sure the weapon was fully loaded. "I have to be careful with my shots, because I only have six. It's a shame I couldn't conceal any extra ammo, I'll just have to make these six shots count." Seeing that the revolver was loaded and ready, I closed the chamber with a flick of my wrist. I gave the chamber a quick spin, before I tucked the revolver back into my waistband. "I doubt those imposters could get to the old man here, I think we may have missed our mark on this one." Before I could say anymore, I quickly ducked underneath a sudden punch. I looked up to see that Bulat had partially uncloaked himself. "I knew you would do that."

"Looks like your reflexes and awareness are getting better." Bulat complimented, as he crossed his arms over his chest. "But don't let your guard down by making assumptions."

"I know, I know..." I said, placing my hands in my pockets. "I'm just saying we may have been wrong on this one, but I wasn't planning on letting my guard down at all."

"That's good to hear, but remember that I was able to sneak on the ship because of **Incursio**. So there's no knowing what tricks the enemy could have in store." Bulat said, as he patted me on the shoulder.

"I got it..." I said, my mind going back to the suspicious boy I had seen earlier. _"Maybe I should try to find that kid."_ Deciding to investigate later, I looked up at Bulat. "That armor of yours is pretty amazing. It helped you get on the ship and has so many other amazing abilities."

"Yep!" Bulat cheered, as he slapped a hand to his chest. " **Incursio** allowed me to fight and survive on the frontlines against the tribes in the South. **Incursio** is like my very own partner. But...despite all my effort, I wasn't able to save General Liver. The general refused to send bribes to the minister and was taken prisoner. He planned to go to the capital and plead his innocence, but the men held a grudge against me and the general, so they framed us both as criminals. I did something truly cowardly back then...I ran off with my **Imperial Arms** before they could arrest me."

"That's messed up..." I muttered, tightly clenching my fists.

"Whoops." Bulat said, as portions of his armor began to fully reappear. "My invisibility is reaching its limit, so I'll have to take **Incursio** off for a little while."

"People know your face, right?" I asked, pushing off the ships railing. Looking back, I noticed that the ship had departed from the docks and was now gently cruising down the canal. "You can leave the top deck to me."

"Alright..." Bulat said, as he began to walk into the ship. "I'll check the lower levels."

"Well I better get to-" I was cut off when the sound of a flute began to fill the air. _"Why the hell am I hearing a flute?"_

* * *

 **Guest Cabins:**

"Your tone is soothing as ever." Liver complimented, sitting across from Nyau. "It really does suit this ship."

" **Scream** ; a flute **Imperial Arms** that can manipulate the emotions of those who hear it." Nyau said with a mischievous smirk. "It's usually used on the battlefield to boost a soldier's morale...but there are far more emotions that I can manipulate."

"Hmm, it looks like the ship has departed from the city and is out of sight now." Liver said, as he gazed out a nearby window. "You really timed this perfectly."

"I've been playing for quite a while, so everyone should be knocked out for some time." Nyau said, setting his flute down next to him.

"Don't let your guard down, because there may be some country folk on this ship that can't appreciate your flute's quality." Liver warned, as he rested his head on his hand.

"Don't worry, I won't." Nyau said, as he grabbed his flute once again. "Actually, I'll play a little more just to be safe."

* * *

 **Same Time; Top Deck:**

"What the hell is going on?" I muttered, propping myself up with the ship's railing. I gazed around and saw several other passengers had passed out around me. I grit my teeth as I struggled to keep myself from collapsing. _"Damn, I don't even have the strength to call for, Bro. It has to be that damn flute that's playing, it's the **Imperial Arms** , **Scream** , for sure. I can still hear that damn thing even if I cover my ears!"_

"Aw shit!" A loud voice exclaimed from behind me. Spinning around, I saw a large man walking towards him. "I'm sick of hiding like a rat...OH! There's still a little shit who's holding out. The hypnosis will make you forget who I leave alive."

"So..." I breathed out, as I tightly balled my fists. "You're a part of those Night Raid imposters."

"Oh ho! So you think you're the real deal!" The large man cheered in an excited tone. Bending down towards a collapsed guard, the man tossed me his sword. "Take this."

"What are you doing?" I asked, catching the sword.

"I wanna gain experience through fighting..." The large man said, as a wicked grin spread across his face. "Because I, Daidara, wish to become the strongest. So, Night Raid..." Daidara reached onto his back and pulled out his double-bladed axe. "Come at me with all you've got. You won't have to worry about hitting any innocents, so there's no need to hold back."

"I see..." I said, slowly unsheathing the sword. As I unsheathed the blade, I also reached for my revolver as well. "Then I'll give you some great experience..." I suddenly shot forward, dual-wielding the revolver and sword. "When I bury you!"

"That's the stuff!" Daidara yelled, as he readied his axe. "That's the fighting spirit I'm looking for! You're definitely worth killing!"

Fight

Daidara reared back and prepared to attack me with an powerful overhead slash. But I raised my revolver and fired before he could attack. Daidara lowered his axe **Imperial Arms** , **Belvaak** , and to my amazement, deflected the shot. "Oh ho! Your reflexes haven't been slowed much because of the music. I like that!" Daidara grinned maniacally as he pulled his axe apart into two separate blades. "How about you try this on for size!" my eyes shot open when Daidara threw the axes toward me.

"Dammit!" I shouted, ducking underneath the whirling blades. However, I was shocked when the axes began to boomerang back towards me. "Shit!" Jumping backwards, I barely managed to dodge the spinning blades; one of them caught my shirt and cut a large hole in it. As I continued to dodge the flying blades, I recalled what I had read about **Belvaak** in the book about **Imperial Arms** , _"This thing is going to keep coming after me until it kills me or he stops it! I have to do something quick!"_ I sidestepped the axe once again, just then, an idea came to me. Reaching into my jacket pocket, I pulled out several small spherical objects. _"Alright Lubbock, time to put your training to use!"_

Daidara quirked an eyebrow as he watched me begin run circles around him, all the while still dodging the flying axes. However, what Daidara didn't notice was that I was carefully dropping the small spherical objects as I ran around him. I was also carefully observing the axes flight patterns, and taking note of how long it took them to turn around and correct their course. Once I had all my devices in place, and had a decent grasp of the axes flying capabilities, I sprung my plan into action.

"I guess you're leaving me no choice!" I exclaimed, as he began to run towards Daidara; the axes flying after me. "I'll direct these damn things straight at you! You've dug your own grave!"

 _"He fell right into my trap."_ Daidara thought with an evil smirk. "It was fun kid, but it's time to end this little game."

Nearby Bulat was about to jump in and stop me from falling into Daidara's trap. But Bulat and Daidara were both surprised when they saw me stop much farther away then they had expected. Suddenly ducking, the axe blades flew over my head and headed straight towards Daidara. The large man expected his blades to immidiately correct themselves and fly back towards me, but his eyes widened when the axes hadn't changed course.

 _"Shit! He must have figured out how long it takes for **Belvaak** to fix it's flight path!" _ Daidara thought, grabbing the blades mid-flight. "I must say you're pretty smart to figure out how long it takes **Belvaak** to changes directions. But it doesn't matter..." Daidara smirked as he watched me pant from exhaustion. "All that running and dodging must have worn you out. So it'll be easy to kill you now."

"Figuring out your **Imperial Arms** ' flight patterns wasn't the only thing I was doing." I revealed, as I reached into my pocket. Daidara quirked an eyebrow when he saw me pull out a small device with a red button on it. "All that running in circles and dodging I was doing...it was all to distract you while I planted some explosives." Daidara's eyes shot open as he now noticed almost a dozen small spherical objects scattered around him; all of them blinking red. "Those are homemade bombs curtesy of my friend Lubbock, who showed me how to make them. I'm glad I brought a few with me." I smirked as I put my thumb on the detonator.

 _ **Finish Him!**_

"It's time to bury you." I pressed the detonator and a large explosion engulfed Daidara. "Slice and dice, boys." The shockwave from the blast rocked the entire deck. When the smoke and debris cleared, all that remained of Daidara was a hole in the deck and several blood splatters. If the initial explosion hadn't killed him, then the shrapnel, intense flames, and fall to the deck below definitely had.

Tatsumi wins-Flawless Victory-Faction Kill

Sighing heavily, I collapsed onto the deck. _"God damn, I'm exhausted."_ Looking over at where Daidara had been, I was surprised to see Belvaak lying on the ground. "Wow, that's one tough **Imperial Arms**. Looks like we'll have to take that back to base with us. Maybe I should give it to Ieysayu; he is skilled with an axe."

"Oh, I don't think you'll leaving this ship alive." I shot upright when a new voice spoke up. I quickly spotted a tall silver-haired man and the suspicious boy I had seen earlier standing in front of me. "I must say I'm quite impressed that you managed to kill Daidara, but now we must avenge our fallen comrade."

"So there 'were' more of you." I said, glaring at the other Night Raid imposters, especially the younger boy. "I knew you were shady the second I saw you."

"Whoa! I love the face you're making!" The boy cheered, as he pulled out a dagger. "I think I'll add it to my collection!"

"We have no to time to dawdle, Nyau. We'll kill him quickly, so we can get to our target." The silver-haired man chastised, a blade extending from his sleeve.

"You're no fun, Liver!" Nyau pouted, as he puffed out his cheeks. "Fine, we'll kill this nuisance and finish our target. But you owe me!"

 _"It's no good, I'm too tired."_ I thought, watching the two men stalk towards me. _"I can't even muster the strength to raise my revolver."_

"I'll take it from here, Tatsumi!" Bulat yelled, as he jumped into the fray; already having **Incursio** equipped. Both Liver and Nyau were caught off guard by Bulat's sudden arrival. Taking advantage of the confusion, Bulat attacked both men simultaneously. With two powerful punches Bulat sent Nyau flying across the deck into a stack of crates and Liver into a wall. "You did well back there, Tatsumi, I'm glad to see that you're okay."

 _"He drove both of them back in a second."_ I thought, staring at Bulat in awe. "I still have so much to learn from you, Bro." A grin spread across my face as I slowly got back onto my feet. "I knew you were strong, but seriously you're incredible!"

"You got that right!" Bulat exclaimed in a cheerful tone. "My nickname during my army days was 'One-Hundered-Killer Bulat,' did you know?"

"If you want to be more accurate..." Both Bulat and I turned around to see that Liver was back onto his feet. "You killed 128. We were busy taking on specialized spies back then. That Imperial Arms...and that incredible strength...it has to be you, Bulat!"

"So it's you, General Liver?" Bulat asked, as he turned to face his former commander.


	10. Chapter 10: Tatsumi 4

**Kill the Three Beasts Part 2: Tatsumi 4(Part 2)**

"I'm no longer a general." Liver said, clutching the cross around his neck. "Ever since master Esdeath saved me...I've been her loyal servant."

"*Sigh* If you were on our side..." Bulat said, as his spear, Neuntote, appeared in his hand. "I would take you out for drinks to celebrate. But...if you've come here as my enemy...then my only option is to kill you! I will carry out my mission!"

"Heh, that's my line." Liver said, pulling of his white gloves; revealing a dragon shaped ring with a blue gem in the center. "I will also complete my assignment...using this teigu given to me by master Esdeath." Liver raised his arm and water exploded out of several barrels around him.

"I remember reading about that **Imperial Arms**..." I thought, as I watched Liver freely control the water. " **Black Marlin** , a ring **Imperial Arms**. It was created from the organs that water-based danger beasts use to manipulate water. Apparently its user can control any water they've touched once."

"It's quite fortunate that I'm fighting you here." Liver said, laughing the pillars of water at Bulat. However, Bulat easily sliced through the water with his spear.

"So you use water." Bulat said in an amused tone. "That's fitting for someone who works under a ice-wielder."

"I'm utterly powerless without water..." Liver said, as his eyes darkened slightly. "Master Esdeath can create ice out of absolutely nothing...No one is equal to her! She is awe inspiring!" Clenching his fists tightly, Liver sent another barrage of water at Bulat. "Water Barrage!"

"How daring!" Bulat exclaimed, spinning his spear like a propeller to deflect the water.

 _"Damn that hurt..."_ Nyau thought, as he crawled out of the crates that had fallen on top of him. Wincing in pain, Nyau stood back onto his feet. _"Man, that guy is almost as strong as Master Esdeath. But on this massive canal, Liver can definitely beat him..."_ Nyau reached down and grabbed his flute, raising it to his lips. "And I'll give him some support."

"Hold it right there you bastard!" I roared, sprinting towards Nyau. Raising my revolver, I aimed for Nyau's head. But when I fired, Nyau dodged the shot; the bullet hitting one of the small devil horns on his head. Not relenting, I rushed Nyau with my sword. "I won't let you interfere with their fight!"

"You..." Nyau said, as he casually blocked one of my attacks with his flute. "Are getting in my way...and it's starting to irritate me." Nyau suddenly gasped in pain when I sent him flying with a strong kick to the stomach.

 _"Good, I'm not groggy anymore!"_ I thought, feeling that my reflexes were now back to normal. _"I can go all out now!"_ I dug my feet into the deck and shot towards Nyau. Flute and sword once again clashed together in a barrage of exchanged blows. I immidiately noticed that Nyau was frequently trying to get behind, and attack me from behind. But I used the skills he had learned from training with Akame to keep one step ahead of Nyau.

 _"Damn! He's fast!"_ Both me and Nyau thought, as we raced around each other and exchanged attacks.

"You're pretty fast..." I said, wiping sweat from my brow. A smirk spread across my face as I remembered all the speed training I had done with Akame. "But Akame is so much faster!"

"Ha! Don't compare me to you assassin scum!" Nyau exclaimed, as he took a swing at me with his flute. Easily reading the incoming attack, I quickly backflipped out of the way. "Ugh! This guy is a pain in the ass! If that previous attack didn't on him then this guy..."

 _"He's moving so fast, even with all of his injuries. So I won't be able to track him with my revolver..."_ I thought, briefly stopping to catch my breath. _"The_ _three beasts are putting Ogre to shame right now..."_ Both Nyau and I stopped fighting when we heard a loud commotion next to us. Both our eyes shot open when we spotted Liver standing atop a massive snake made of water. "What the hell!?"

"HAHA! There's plenty of water here, so there's no way Liver is going to lose!" Nyau gloated, as he glared at me.

"No way! Bro is going to win this for sure!" I exclaimed, raising my revolver and firing. But like before, Nyau easily dodged the shot. "Dammit, I only have three shots left. I really have to make them count now."

"I'll crush with sheer water pressure, Bulat!" Liver roared, as the giant water snake flew towards Bulat. " **Serpent of the Abyss**!"

"Too easy!" Bulat shouted, slashing through the water serpent with his spear.

"I knew you'd cut through instead of dodging..." Liver said, as he leaped into the air. "But, being on the deck is one thing...but when you're in the sky there's no dodging this one!" Several of pillars of water erupted up from the side of the ship and headed towards Bulat. Because of where the water was coming from, Bulat was forced to jump into the air to dodge. " **Murky Lance**!" The streams of water immediately followed after Bulat and sharpened into spears. Bulat grunted in pain when the water slammed into his chest.

"A little water..." Bulat said through grit teeth. "Is not enough to douse the flames of my passions!"

"We've fought in countless battles, and I know your strength better than anyone." Liver said, as he landed back onto the ship's deck. "That's why..." The sapphire on Liver's **Imperial Arms** began to glow brightly. "I'm going to show you my greatest and strongest attack!" Several dragon-like water serpents surrounded Liver before they raced towards Bulat. " **Water Dragon's Divine Conquest**!" Bulat was hit by the attack, and in the rush of water it appeared that he had been swept away. Dropping his guard slightly, Liver let out a shaky breath. "Did I get him?"

"You'' find there will never be a time..." Liver eyes shot open as he looked up to see Bulat falling towards him; his spear at the ready. "You can ask something like that!"

"He made it out alive!?" Liver exclaimed, as he took a fearful step back. However, Bulat had to stop his attack because he noticed that Nyau about to attack him. Bulat was about to attack Nyau, but someone else beat him to it.

"I said stay out of their fight!" I roared, slamming Nyau with my elbow, fracturing his some of his face . Nyau grunted as he was sent skidding backwards by mu attack. "I'm your opponent you bastard!" I was panting heavily; blood and sweat covering my body.

"Heh, I just needed to take away his opportunity to kill Liver." Nyau mocked, as he spit some blood from his mouth.

"Sorry, Bro..." I said, hanging my head in shame. "I couldn't stop him from interfering."

"Don't worry about it." Bulat said with a smile, **Incursio** disappearing off his body. The large man was covered in injuries and was soaking wet. "You did an amazing job surviving without an **Imperial Arms** of your own."

 _"Big_ _Bro..."_ I thought, as my eyes widened. " _He's really hurt underneath all that armor. It's reached the damage limit."_

"Hmm, it seems **Incursio** lifts after a certain amount of damage is sustained..." Liver commented with a smirk on his face. "Victory is within sight."

"Don't play me for a fool, Liver." Bulat said, placing his hands on his hips. "There's blood coming from your ear." Liver's eyes widened when he felt a trickle of blood streaming down his face. "Unleashing all those powerful attacks has done a number on your body. You're in no condition to be using an **Imperial Arms**."

"You got me..." Liver said with a light chuckle. "I was hoping to have an advantage in our negotiations...so let me just ask you one thing...Bulat...do you want to join Master Esdeath's forces."

"I refuse..." Bulat replied without a moments hesitation. "I can see why after all you've been through...your current position would seem appealing...But..." Bulat reached into his pocket and pulled out a small combing. With quick and practiced ease, Bulat combed his hair back into his usual heart-shaped pompadour. "I intend to serve the people...Esdeath's army works for the minister...I would hate to work for such a disgusting man..."

"Tch, an ally to the people. That's something an assassin shouldn't say." Liver said, as he glared at Bulat.

"That's why I said it modestly." Bulat said with a small smirk.

 _"I've got to get ready for my_ _**Trump Card**..." _ Nyau thought, reaching for his flute. _"Then_ _we can win!"_

"Bro..." I breathed out with a smile on my face. "There's no way we can lose with you on our side!"

* * *

 **Same Time; With Lubbock, Akame, and Sayo:**

"So they've got plenty of rice reserves..." Sayo said, looking at the small village ahead through a pair of binoculars. "That's the Good Sense party for you. Always doing charity work. They even helped our village out a few times."

"That should definitely give the citizens a moral boost." Akame said, as she leaned against the tree they were hiding in. "But I'm getting kinda hungry looking at it." Akame's eyes lit up when Lubbock handed her a candy bar.

"Here eat-" Lubbock was cut off when Akame lunged forward and sank her teeth into the candy. "...this."

"You feel anything on your lines?" Sayo asked, lowering her binoculars so that she could check her arrow count. Because of what happened on her last mission, Sayo made sure to bring double the amount of arrows to ensure she wouldn't run out.

"Nothing so far..." Lubbock said, as he gazed down at the wires wrapped around his fingers. "Looks like we came to the wrong place."

"We can't let our guard down." Sayo said, looking through her binoculars again.

"Yeah, I know..." Lubbock said, as he sat down next to Sayo. "We'll protect these guys no matter what."

 _"Tatsumi...Bulat...if the enemy finds you_... _please..."_ Akame thought, staring up at the sky overhead. _"Please...come back alive!"_

* * *

 **Back with Bulat and me:**

"Since neither of us can use **Imperial Arms**...we'll have to settle this with swords." Bulat said, as he locked eyes with Liver. The large man's eyes widened when Liver suddenly injected a needle into his neck.

"Hope you don't mind if I dope up a little." Liver said, feeling the drug course through his veins. Immediately Liver could feel strength and energy flowing through his body. "After all, I'm fighting you."

 _"I have a bad feeling about this!"_ I thought, as I kept an eye on Nyau and the fight between Liver and Bulat.

"I was prepared to take on a formidable enemy." Bulat said, pressing a small button on his normal armor. With a loud hissing sound, the back of Bulat's armor opened and a sword appeared from it. My eyes widened when I spotted the red gem with a black cross on the sword's hilt.

 _"That sword...it looks so familiar...as if I've held it in my hands before...wait...I have!"_ I thought.

"Let's do this!" Bulat roared, as he he charged towards Liver. Both men clashed swords and began to unleash a flurry of attacks. However, despite the boost from the drug, Liver began to be pushed back by Bulat's quick and powerful strikes. Eventually, Bulat managed to catch Liver off guard, and hit him with a slash across the stomach. Liver's eyes widened as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. But, Liver's shock was soon replaced by a wicked grin.

"My true **Trump Card**..." my eyes shot open as I watched the blood around Liver rise up into the air. " **Blades of Blood**!" The blood in the air began to shoot towards Bulat like speeding bullets.

 _"Dammit! I knew he was hiding something!"_ Bulat thought, raising his sword. In an amazing display of precision and speed, Bulat managed to deflect most of the blood projectiles. But Bulat was not a superhuman, so a few blood blades slipped past him and hit him in the arms and chest. With a grunt, Bulat collapsed to his knees; his sword holding him upright.

"Are you okay, Bro!?" I yelled, as I ran up to Bulat.

"It's not fatal." Bulat said, turning to smile at Tatsumi. "So don't worry."

"That attack took the rest of my strength." Liver said, as he collapsed to the ground. "I'm not surprised you managed to hold out against my strongest."

"When I saw the spray of blood...I remembered that it was also a liquid." Bulat said, just as Tatsumi helped him stand up.

 _"I wasn't much help during this fight, but...we're both going home after fighting such powerful enemies."_ I thought with a smile, as I supported Bulat on my back. _"Thank goodness...I hope."_

"The reason why I'm a part of Master Esdeath's army..." Liver explained, gazing up at the sky overhead. The former general remember how Esdeath had came to him in his cell, and had offered him a chance at redemption. "It was just...I worshiped her...that's all!" Gripping the cross around his neck, Liver sat upright and pointed at Bulat. "So..." Tatsumi didn't like the deranged smile on Liver's face. "By the sheer will of one who serves Master Esdeath...I'm dying without taking your life first!" I gasped when Bulat suddenly vomited blood.

"Big Bro, No!" I exclaimed, my voice full of worry.

"That injection earlier..." Liver said with a smirk on his face. "It wasn't some random drug. It was actually a deadly poison I pumped directly into my blood...and threw it into yours! You have no tolerance built up, so you'll die in no time!" Giving one last laugh, Liver collapsed once again. "Now...I can rest in peace..."

"Heh, that's just like my former superior..." Bulat said, as he coughed up another mouthful of blood. "Looks like it's a draw."

"We have to help you fast!" I exclaimed, beginning to make his way towards the edge of the ship.

"T-Tastumi..." Bulat said weakly, as he pointed ahead. "Your fight's not finished y-yet..."

"Huh?" It was then that I noticed the sound of music filling the air. I looked up to see Nyau advancing towards us; already playing his flute.

" **Trump Card** : **Demon Summon**." Nyau muttered, as his body began to morph and change. Eventually, Nyau transformed into a man as big and strong looking as Bulat. "For master Esdeath...I'll carry out my mission no matter what!"

 _"Not good!"_ I thought, gently lowering Bulat onto the deck and unsheathing my sword. _"I could barely keep up with him before. What am I going to do now!?"_

"Tatsumi..." Bulat's voice caused me to turn around. MY eyes widened when he saw that Bulat was holding out his sword. "I'm trusting you with this."

"That's..." I breathed out in shock.

"It's **Incursio** 's key." Bulat said, as he smiled at me. "The armor will protect whoever holds it."

"Haha! That's impossible! Completely impossible!" Nyau laughed, a victorious smile on his face. " **Incursio** 's so taxing, that if some country bumpkin puts it on it'll kill them. Don't you know? Forget it. You'll die before the battle even starts.

"I've had enough of your bullshit." I said, as I tightly balled my fists in anger. "I've been training my ass off to become stronger, so I can change my dark future! So your stupid mind games won't work on me!" I turned to Bulat with a determined fire burning in my eyes. "Bro...I'll do it. I know I'm compatible with **Incursio**."

"That's the fiery spirit I love to see!" Bulat cheered, handing **Incursio** to me. "You can do it! Now go Tatsumi!"

 _"If I don't rise up to Bro's expectations..."_ I thought, as I took hold of **Incursio**. Immediately, I noticed that the blade felt familiar in my hands; I could feel the power coursing through my body. _"I'm not a man who can brighten his future!"_

"Really?" Nyau asked, releasing a heavy sigh and shaking his head. "You're actually gonna do it?" An evil smirk suddenly spread across Nyau's face. "In that case...I'll get in one last hit before you die!"

"Yell it out Tatsumi! With all of your burning spirit!" Bulat exclaimed, just as I was bathed in blinding red light.

"HUUUUAAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH! **INCURSIOOOOOOOOOO**!" The entire ship shook as a massive copy of Bulat's armor appeared behind me

 _"The armor..."_ Bulat thought, watching as **Incursio** 's living elements begin to form around me. "It's changing shape so it's easier for Tatsumi to move!"

"What is that armor!?" Nyau exclaimed, as he shielded his eyes from the blinding light. "It can't be...the elements are still alive."

 _" **Incursio** was formed from a dragon-type danger beast called a tyrant, who possess vitality that is out of this world."_ Bulat thought, watching my transformation in awe. _"The dragon is constantly on the move, hunting it's prey; and it's frequently evolving and adapting to live in any environment; whether it be scorching deserts or freezing tundras. Even after it was killed and made into an **Imperial Arms**...the fles of the dragon still lives one...and continues to evolve to defeat its enemies. Tatsumi...your feelings are causing **Incursio** to evolve!"_

 _"This is..."_ I thought, as I gazed down at the armor I was wearing. It was the exact same armor I was wearing from my battle with Shinnok.

 _"Alight..."_ I thought, calming my racing mind. "Army of Esdeath, you used Night Raid's name to cover up your heinous murders...prepare to pay the price!"

"Tch, your cocky all of a sudden." Nyau said, as he glared at me.

"This armor...it's giving me incredible strength..." I said, clenching my fist before I pointed at Nyau. "You...will die by my hands!"

Fight

"Just you try it!" Nyau roared, as he charged towards me.

"Where the hell did he go?!" Nyau yelled, as I disappeared right before his eyes.

 _"He can already turn invisible?!"_ Bulat thought, his body filling with pride. _"It took me months before I could do that...Tatsumi...you're already so strong..."_

"This!" I roared, as I circled around Nyau. "Is for my Bro!" With a powerful thrust, I stabbed the spear through Nyau's chest. Esdeath's subordinate coughed up a large amount of blood, as my spear ran him through. With a strong kick, I pushed Nyau off the weapon and chained an X-Ray move.

Tatsumi Wins-Flawless Victory

"Ha...ha...wow..."Bulat muttered weakly, as he watched the armor fade off my body. "He can already turn invisible and summon _Neuntote_...if you're this strong already...you'll surpass me one day for sure..." Bulat gave one last smile, before he collapsed onto the deck. The large assassin's vision began to fade, as he slowly closed his eyes. "Keep pushing beyond that, and brighten your future. I'll be watching over you, Tatsumi."

"This is the end of the line for you." I said, pulling out my revolver and aiming at Nyau. The boy had reverted back to his original form, and was profusely bleeding on the ground; sputtering and coughing up blood repeatedly. "I won't miss this time." Pulling back the revolver's hammer, I fired. The gunshot echoed throughout the deck, as the bullet tore through Nyau's skull, killing him instantly. I then immediately turned around and ran to Bulat's side, but it was too late. Bulat was obviously dead, at least he died with a smile on his face. "Big Bro..." Rain poured down as I collapsed onto me knees next to Bulat. "Because of you, I won...because of you training and believing in me, I was able to pull through...I'm sorry...for doing things that made you want to hit me...I'll keep getting stronger for sure...and I'll figure out the secrets of **Incursio**..." Suddenly, I began to shake violently as tears poured from my eyes. "So...so please...let me cry this one time...please Big Bro..." I let out a scream of anguish as I cried onto Bulat's chest—It was painful the first time he died, but this was worse by far.

* * *

 **Same Time; Village of Tensui:**

A young, dark-haired girl hummed a happy tune, as she casually cleaned her sword. The sight wouldn't normally seem too strange, but the girl was currently sitting atop a large pile of bloodied corpses; all of which she had killed herself.

"Kurome! Pass down that corpse already!" A capital soldier yelled to the girl.

"Hmm, okay. I'm done with her anyways." Kurome said, gently kicking the corpse off the large pile. Releasing a light sigh, Kurome pulled out a small sack full of candies.

"Kurome! You've been called to the capital!" An officer said, which caused Kurome to quirk an eyebrow.

"Just me?" Kurome asked, taking a bite out of one of her candies.

"Yeah...something about being chosen as of the six people..."

"The capital huh..." Kurome mused, dusting off her skirt. "Hmm, I might see big sister, Akame, there..."

* * *

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	11. Chapter 11: Tatsumi 5

**Kill the Battle Fanatic: Tatsumi 5**

"Looks like my arm is finally healed." Mine muttered, as she extended her once broken arm and clenched her fist; Her daily baths in the hot springs seemed to help speed up her recovery. _"I've been lazing around and not getting anything done ever since my arm was busted. But now I can fight again!"_ Mine bolted out of the warm water and ran towards her room. After quickly changing, Mine sprinted towards the training grounds. _"I have to train...I have to get stronger so that I can avenge Bulat. Tatsumi promised that we'd do it together and I have to be able to keep up with him."_ Mine reached the door to the training grounds and threw it open. "Please! I'm all healed up, so somebody spar with me!" However, Mine stopped dead in her tracks when her eyes landed on what was in front of her. Mere feet away was Lubbock, Ieysayu and I; the three of us covered in sweat as we did push-ups. But Mine barely noticed Lubbock with Leone on his back, and Ieysayu with Sheele on his; her attention was more focused on me. The pinkette watched in fascination as I struggled to do my push-ups with Akame sitting on my back. Mine could feel a heavy blush burning her cheeks as she gazed at my muscles bulging with each push upwards. _"W-Wow..."_

"Hey, Mine...what's up?" I strained to speak.

Akame, "I'm glad your arm's feeling better."

"Um...What're you guys doing?"

Leone, "These pansies weren't getting anywhere with their training, so we decided to help out."

Ieysayu collapsed, "Ugh! You're heavy!"

Sheele, "Don't be rude, Ieysayu. He can swing **Belvaak** , but that's basically it."

I noticed Mine's heavy blush. Then she turned to Lubbock, "It's a bit unusual to see you getting all sweaty, Lub!"

"Well there's only three of us guys left." Lubbock said, stopping his pushups to look at Mine. "So I figured I'd better start pulling my weight as well."

Leone teased him, "It's cute when you talk all big, since you haven't done half as many push-ups as Tatsumi here."

Akame, "But it's not his fault..."

Me, "Akame, don't..."

"There's a considerable weight difference between me and Leone." Then, Leone smacked her upside the head leaving a big, red bump.

"...say it!"

"Oh good, except for Sayo you're all here." Najenda said, walking onto the training grounds. We quickly stopped their workouts and put our clothes back. "Where is she by the way?"

"I think she's out hunting some danger beasts. She said that she wanted to get some more experience before she went on her next mission." I said, as I slipped on my sweater. I quirked an eyebrow when I saw all the bags Najenda was carrying. "What's with all the bags, boss? You going to headquarters or something?"

"I'm delivering those other two **Imperial Arms** you captured from the three beasts." Najenda said, slipping the pack off her back. "As you said, Ieysayu gets **Belvaak** because he's best with an axe, and he does already have the affinity for it. If he weren't here, I would've taken it as well...now there's now way I could actually use it, but I can at least lug it around."

Ieysayu whispered to Lubbock's ear, "I had no idea she was such a badass."

Lubbock, "She is a badass; she used to be a general, man."

Najenda turned to Akame. "Akame, I'm leaving you in charge. I want everyone to buckle down and train hard."

"Okay, I think I go it." Akame said in her usual monotone voice, as she nodded her head.

"While I'm at HQ, I'm also going to try and recruit some new members." Najenda said, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. The silver-haired woman took a quick puff and released a light sigh. "Although I don't have high hopes...new recruits are gonna be hard to find."

"Boss..." I said, as I tightly balled I fists. "I'm sorry for being so weak..."

"Tatsumi..." Akame muttered, clutching a hand over her heart.

"The Three Beasts you battled...were the pillars of Esdeath's army; the strongest offensive power in the empire." Najenda said, as she closed her eyes. "You and Bulat defeated all three of them, with you personally killing two, and you confiscated all three of their **Imperial Arms**. No matter how powerful Esdeath herself may be, their defeat has definitely weakened her forces. And I know it's eased many people's fears on when we should start the revolution. You're strong Tatsumi, so strong...you've been doing a great job."

"Boss..." I whispered, fighting back my tears.

"Tatsumi..." Leone said in a comforting tone, as she placed a hand on my shoulder. "I didn't want to say anything, because you were training so hard and I didn't want you getting cocky...but Bulat told me that he believed that you'd become incredibly strong one day and that you would surpass him one day. He was looking forward to the day that you would surpass him, Tatsumi. Bulat truly believed in you and your strength, so please don't think you're weak."

"Big Bro..." I breathed out, a few tears escaping my eyes, "Thanks man...I promise to live up to your expectations... _to everyone's expectations."_

"Be proud of your accomplishments, Tatsumi..." Najenda said, as she turned around and swung her bag over her shoulder. "And survive no matter what. Prove to Bulat that he was right to believe in you. Become the man he thought you would become." Giving her assassins one last wave, Najenda made her way out of Night Raid's base. "Even if they train and get stronger...we're still dangerously short on manpower...and based on what Leone has found out, Esdeath is creating a security squad of **Imperial Arms** users...so we have to do something."

* * *

 **Same Time; Capital Cemetery:**

"Liver. Nyau. Daidara..." Esdeath muttered, staring at the three graves before her. "You were all weak, so you lost. The weak must be picked off and eliminated..." Esdeath crouched down and gently caressed the white cross on Nyau's grave. "My helpless servants...and it's because you were so helpless...that I will avenge you." Taking one last glance at the three graves, Esdeath stood back up. "The new **Imperial Arms** users should be arriving today. The minister said he managed so find six fighters, but apparently they're all lower ranked. I don't know what type of people these **Imperial Arms** wielders will be..." A sadistic smile suddenly spread across Esdeath's face. "But I think I'll have a great bit of fun with them."

* * *

 **Three Hours Later; Capital's Main Street:**

"So this is the capital, eh?" Wave said, gazing in awe at the sprawling buildings spread out in front of him. _"I can't believe I was lucky enough to get promoted to the empire's security squad. I thought I would be in the navy my whole life."_ Wave grinned as he glanced down at his choice of clothing. _"I'm glad I wore my best clothes so I won't stick out as some country boy. Mom even packed me a bunch of the best seafood we had as gifts."_ However, Wave frowned when he overheard several people whispering behind his back.

"What a hick..."

"Yeah he's totally a country bumpkin..."

"He even tried to hide it, how lame..."

"Ah what the hell..." Wave muttered, as he perked back up, once again filled with with enthusiasm. "I've battled countless pirates and the sea's most fearsome danger beasts. Some people talking behind my back definitely won't bother me."

"What a freak, talking to himself like that..."

"Yeah, he'll never get a girlfriend if he keeps that up..."

"Alright that one actually hurt a little..." Wave said in a dejected tone, hanging his head in defeat. "Hopefully I'll get to the palace soon." After twenty more minutes of walking, Wave was standing in front of a room in the capital's palace. _"Well I managed to find this place easily enough...this is where I'm supposed to meet the guys I'll be working with."_ Taking a calming breath, Wave reached for the doorknob. _"First impressions are very important. I have to make sure they respect me and don't underestimate my power!"_ With a large smile on his face, Wave energetically threw the door open. "Hello! I'm Wave! I came from the Imperial Na...vy..." Wave stopped dead in his tracks when he noticed that the room was completely deserted...except for a single man sitting at the large room's only table. The mysterious man was massive in size and wore a frightening gas mask. "Pardon me!" A chill ran down Wave's spine as he slammed the door shut behind him. Wave sunk to the ground in the hallway, his body covered in a cold sweat. _"T-That had to be the torture master's room, right?"_ Wave reached into his pack and pulled out a piece of paper. _"Let's see...I'm supposed to go to the room for the security squad's meeting...it's in room 208..."_ Glancing up at the door behind him, Wave's eyes widened when he saw that it was indeed room 208. _"Okay this is the right room...but we're supposed to meet at 2:30, maybe I'm a little early and that guy is in there for another reason."_ But Wave paled and his hung open when he spotted the clock on the wall across from him. _"It's 2:30 right now! Wait...that means... I'm gonna be working with that guy?! What the hell!? Even pirates dress more normal than that!"_ Wave groaned and ran his hand down his face. _"Damn it, he's probably gonna think I'm some kind of insensitive asshole when I walk back in there."_ Releasing a heavy sigh, Wave got back onto his feet. _"I guess I'll just do my best not to irritate him."_ Walking back in the room, Wave took a seat on the other end of the table...far away from the strange man. "H-Hello." However, the mystery man said absolutely nothing, he simply stared at Wave...as if looking right into his soul.

 _"What the hell is going on?!"_ Wave thought, as he began to nervously sweat. The dark-haired man's hands tightly gripped his pant legs. He could still feel the weird man staring at him, his gaze burning a hole in the side of his head. _"Why won't this guy stop staring at me!? It's no good mom, I wanna go home already! I'm not strong enough for the capital's raging waters!"_ However, Wave seemed to be saved when the door opened once again. Turning around, Wave was overcome with relief when he spotted a younger looking, dark-haired girl walk into the room. _"Thank you God! It's a normal person!"_ The girl eyed both men for a moment before she took a seat at the table across from Wave, dropping a sack of what appeared to be candy on top of it. Wave noted that the side of the bag was labeled "Kurome's Candies." He blushed lightly as he watched the girl nibble on the sweets. _"So her name is Kurome...Wow...she's pretty cute..."_

Mustering up some courage, Wave stood up from his seat and walked over to the newcomer. "Y-Yo..." Wave was extremely nervous as he awkwardly waved at the girl. "You're here because you're a **Imperial Arms** wielder too, right? My name is Wave-"

"Keep your eyes off my cookies!" The dark-haired girl said, as she clutched the bag of sweets to her chest. The girl's fierce glare caused Wave to recoil in fear.

 _"Never mind...not normal! Shit and I thought she was cute too..."_ Releasing a defeated sigh, Wave walked back to his seat and slumped into it. "I'm sorry for bothering you." Wave hung his head again and grit his teeth in irritation. _"Damn it...what the hell gives?! That girl there is silently shoveling candy in her mouth like a glutton. It's not gonna be my fault when her teeth eventually fall out!"_ Wave suddenly gulped and glanced at the masked man out of the corner of his eye. _"And that freak is still staring at me! What the hell is going on!?"_

"Excuse us!" Wave was shaken for his thoughts when the doors on the opposite side of the room were suddenly thrown open. Turning in his chair, Wave was surprised to see yet another girl enter the room. This girl had shoulder-length auburn hair and metallic arms. Wave also took notice of the small dog standing at the girl's side.

 _"She's kinda cute too, and she seems to be pretty serious."_ Wave thought, his gaze lowering to the girl's small dog. _"And that little guy is kinda cute as well...but I can't shake the feeling that it's evil somehow...ah I must just be overthinking things. She can't be THAT crazy, right?"_

"I'm from the capital garrison!" The girl said, as she saluted. "I'm Seryu Ubiquitous!" Seryu then gestured to her dog. "And this is **Coro**!" Wave was surprised when the girl suddenly dropped down onto one knee...and started showering the room in...rose petals? "Dr. Stylish...the preparations are now complete!"

"Taking care of one's first impressions...is the most stylish of etiquette...a man can have." Dr. Stylish said dramatically, walking into the room along the path of rose petals.

 _"Oh God, now there's this guy?!...kill me now."_ Wave thought, as his head slammed onto the table. _"I'm sorry for judging you masked man, this guy is now officially the biggest freak in the room." It's impossible_ to disagree with that.

"Oh my." Stylish said, looking at Wave as he adjusted his glasses. "Looks like we have ourselves a little country boy, and a mighty handsome one at that." Wave's skin crawled when Stylish suddenly licked his lips. "Don't worry, cowboy. I'll fix you right up. I oh so look forward to it."

 _"Come near me looking like that and I'll castrate you."_ Wave thought, as he glared at Stylish. Taking an extra precaution, Wave moved his chair as far away from Stylish as physically possible. _"I think he likes me!"_

"Hello." Yet another new voice said. Barely lifting his head off the table, Wave spotted a blonde haired man smiling at everyone. "Looks as if I'm the last one to arrive."

"Hello." Wave said warily, mentally preparing himself for anything this new freak could possibly do. "Nice to meet you. My name is Wave."

"I'm Ran." The man said sincerely, which completely shocked Wave. So far this newcomer appeared to be the most normal person here. "I look forward to working with you and everyone else."

 _"Thank you God for giving me at least one normal person."_ Wave thought, releasing a heavy sigh of relief, before running up to shake his hand.

"Um...everyone...I've made us all some tea." Wave's jaw nearly hit the floor when he saw the masked man placing down several cups of tea. His eyes widened when the masked man handed him his tea. "Im quite sorry about what happened before. I was the first one here, but I didn't say anything to you." What the masked man said next completely shocked Wave. "You see I'm actually very shy...I got so nervous when you came in that I couldn't think of anything to say. But I'm more than likely the oldest one here, so I shouldn't be acting like a child." Wave nodded numbly as the masked man shook his hand. "I look forward to working with you Wave. My name is Bols, and I'm from the Incineration Squad."

 _"To think he was just being shy..."_ Wave thought with a nervous chuckle. _"The Incineration Squad, eh? I guess that explains that freaky mask."_

As Bols and Wave continued to speak, Dr. Stylish curiously eyed the Incineration Squad member. _"So he's from the Incineration Squad? A unit that stylishly torches people, buildings, and anything else that stands against them. Hmmm, he's not really my type."_

Just then the door to the room opened once again. Everyone was surprised to see General Esdeath walk into the room, wearing a mask.

Wave, "And who might you be?"

She was rather harsh. "What in the hell are you all doing in here?!"

"What's your problem? We were all invited to co-"

Esdeath kicked him into the wall hard enough to cause massive cracks. "You never know who's an assassin! Don't ever let your guard down!" She went to Ran, and he showed impressive reflexes. _"This one has good reaction speed."_ Seryu and **Coro** leapt at her from behind. Only to reunite their faces with the canvas. "You can't attack from behind when your bloodlust is so easily sensed!"

Kurome charged at the woman, and slashed the mask she was wearing to pieces. "I'm not gonna hold back, even if this is just a game."

"Must be the **Imperial Arms** , **Yatsofusa** ; just as sharp as expected."

Bols gasped, "General Esdeath!"

Wave got back up, "Ugh, god. _So, even the superior officer's a nutcase!"_

Ten Minutes later, they all emerged from the room dressed in black suits and ties.

"Good, I must say you all clean up rather well." Esdeath said, now dressed in a suit and tie as well. "Now, we'll have a proper meet-and-greet after we've had our audience with the emperor."

"We're meeting the emperor so soon!?" Wave exclaimed in shock. "I haven't even been in the capital a single day!"

"I like to take care of all the boring and troublesome things first." Esdeath said, leading the group through the palace. "Don't fret too much, it won't be very long."

"General Esdeath..." Stylish said, as he rested his head on his hand. "Does our little team have a special name? Because simply being called the 'security squad' is quite boring."

"I'm so glad you asked." Esdeath said, a sadistic smirk spreading across her face. "All of us possess a rather 'unique' skill set. We'll work together and hunt down bands of wicked terrorists...and so...we are the capital's security squad...the Jaegers."

* * *

 **Three Hours Later:**

 _"I knew all of the wonderful seafood my mom packed would come in handy."_ Wave thought, as he helped Bols prepare the large meal for everyone. _"This is going to be the perfect welcome meal for us all. But why are we the only ones who know how to cook?!"_

"Wave..." Bols said, pointing to the vegetables in Wave's hand. "Please put the spinach in last. If you put it in now it'll wilt."

"Heh, sorry bout that." Wave said, as he set the spinach down and rubbed the back of his head in embarassment. "I gotta say...I'm so relieved you're such a nice guy Bols."

"I'm..." Bols muttered, roughly cutting the head off one of the fish Wave had brought. "Not nice at all...If you knew all the things I've seen and done...you wouldn't say that about me."

In the next room the rest of the Jaegers were patiently waiting for Bols and Wave to finish cooking. Run and Stylish were talking in one corner of the room, while Kurome was playing with Coro.

"Captain..." Seryu said, as she smiled brightly at Esdeath. "I'm quite curious, what do you like to do in your free time?"

"Hunting and torture." Esdeath replied nonchalantly, taking a small sip of her wine. "Or studying up on either one." Esdeath smiled as she set the glass back down. "But at the moment...I'd like to find love." Both Seryu and Kurome appeared to quite surprised by Esdeath's answer. Neither of them expected a woman with Esdeath's reputation to be worried about something as trivial as love. "Oh by the way Seryu, I understand that we have an extra **Imperial Arms** left after your battle with Night Raid."

"Y-Yes...that would be correct." Seryu said, still slightly surprised by what Esdeath had previously said. "We collected a scissor-shaped **Imperial Arms** that a Night Raid assassin was using. But we haven't been able to find anyone who can use it. If we can't find anyone soon the minister will confiscate it."

"That would be quite the waste." Esdeath said with a smirk, as she clasped her hands on top of the table. "Well while we search for some who could use it, why don't we have some fun?"

* * *

 **Night Raid's Hidden Base:**

"Thanks for doing some target practice and sparring with me Tatsumi." Mine said, slinging **Pumpkin** over her shoulder. "I'm still a little off, but that definitely helped."

"No problem Mine, you've been out of action for a while so I know you needed to get some training in." I said, as I put away my practice sword. "You're swordplay and hand-to-hand fighting skills might have dipped a little, but you're still an amazing shot. I still got a long way to go before I can catch up to you."

"Ha! You might as well give up on that!" Mine laughed, playfully slapping my arm. "Because there's no way you'll ever be as good of a shot as me. I'm a genius sniper, remember."

"You sure are Mine." I said, as I chuckled lightly while lightly blushing.

"So..." Mine said, her voice suddenly becoming quiet and anxious. "You're heading to the capital to meet with Leone and Lubbock?"

"Yeah, I'm actually about to go pack right now." I replied, as I rubbed the back of my head. "I should be back by the end of the day. I'm just doing some quick scouting with Leone and setting up a few surveillance devices with Lubbock. Nothing too difficult."

"Alright..." Mine muttered, avoiding my gaze. "Tatsumi..." A fierce blush spread across Mine's face as she began fidget slightly.

"What's up Mine?" I asked, as I quirked an eyebrow. "You okay? You're face is all red."

"I-I'm fine!" Mine exclaimed, her heart pounding in her chest. "J-Just...Just be careful! And make sure you come back safe!" With a near neon blush, Mine spun around and raced towards her room.

"What the hell was that all about?" I muttered, as I rubbed the back of my head in confusion. "It seemed like Mine was really worried about me for a second. And why the hell was her face all red like that? It's almost as if she like's me or something...Wait...could Mine really love...Nah, I'm just overthinking things. There's no way she has feelings for me. Even if she did in my past, it's still way too early for anything like that to happen...right? Ah, I'll worry about it later. I have to finish getting ready and say goodbye to Akame."

As soon as Mine reached her room she slammed the door behind her. Releasing a shaky breath, Mine pressed her back against the door and sunk to the floor. "What the hell did I say something like that for?" Mine muttered, resting her between her knees. No matter how hard she tried, Mine couldn't fight off her raging blush. "It's not like I really care about him or anything. He's stupid, immature, noisy, and a huge crybaby...but he's also strong, sweet, funny, and thoughtful...plus he's...I guess he's kinda cute...GAH!" Mine screamed as she furiously tugged on her pink hair. "What the hell is going on with me!?"

* * *

 **Three Hours Later; Imperial Capital:**

 _"This place seems to be real lively for some reason."_ I thought, discreetly glancing at the bustling people around me from under my hood. _"There must be some type of event or something happening today."_ As I continued walking through the capital's streets, I eventually spotted the bookstore Lubbock used as a front for our hidden base within the capital. "Book Night?" I couldn't help but quirk an eyebrow at the shop's strange name. "I get that we're supposed to be hiding in plain sight, but that just seems a little but too obvious."

"Oh hello sir." Lubbock said, as he leaned on the wall outside his shop.

"Hey." I said, shoving my hands into my pockets. "Interesting little shop you got here, I especially like the name."

"Why thank you." Lubbock said with a cocky smile, as he gestured into the shop with his thumb. "If you'd like, you can browse our 'special' selection in the back of the store."

"Lead the way." I said, following Lubbock through the small bookstore. Once at the back of the shop, Lubbock pulled on one of the books, revealing a hidden door and a set of stairs leading into a hidden basement. "The secret door is a nice touch."

"Right?" Lubbock said with a wide grin, as he followed behind me. "This place is my pride and joy."

"Tch, don't bullshit me Lubbock." Tatsumi said with a knowing look, turning my head to smirk at Lubbock. "I know for a fact you didn't build this place." As I descended further down the stairs, I eventually found myself in Night Raid's capital hideout.

"HELLOOO!" Leone cheered with a ruddy blush on her face, as she slammed down her glass of sake. "Welcome to our little secret hideout, Tatsumi!"

"You're not being very secretive...! Looks like you're making yourself at home, Leone..." I said, snatching the bottle of alcohol away from my blonde friend.

"I thought I told you I don't get drunk easily!" Leone whined, as she half-heartedly reached for the bottle. "Just one more drink! Please!" Leone suddenly got a brilliant idea. The busty blonde knew that there was one sure fire way to get a man to do what you want. With a lustful glint in her eyes, Leone leaned forward so that I could easily look down her shirt, which I tried to avoid. When she spoke, her voice was sweet and husky, "If you let me have another drink, I'll give you a special 'treat' when we get home later."

"As tempting at that offer is I'll have to decline. We need to be focused when we're scouting." I said, causing Leone to instantly deflate in her seat. I guess I had a stronger will than most men.

"Now then, wanted posters of Mine have started to pop up all over the capital recently...but, thanks to Tatsumi's mask, no one knows what she really looks like. Though, she should still be careful."

"It's strange, quite a few people on the ship saw my face." I mused, as I rubbed my chin. "So I figured it would be dangerous for me to walk around, but I guess that's not the case...anyways, on the way here it seemed like the whole capital was buzzing about this new security squad called the 'Jaegers.'"

"That's because Esdeath is the one leading them." Lubbock explained, leaning against a nearby wall. "Anything she does is a big deal around here. That woman is extremely dangerous."

"Esdeath..." I muttered, as I looked down at my feet. I shoved my hands into my pockets and locked eyes with Lubbock. "So...how dangerous is Esdeath exactly?"

"There's too many stories to tell, but one in particular comes to mind." Lubbock said, releasing a heavy sigh. "Several years ago a savage tribe in the southwest rose up against the empire. The minister sent an army of over 120,000 men to eliminate a little over 10,000 tribals. It should have been an easy victory for the army, a clear way to display their power. But the harsh terrain and abundant danger beasts attacked the soldiers relentlessly. At night the savages would launch surprise attacks, and within no time it was clear that the army could not carry out their mission. The minster got desperate, so he sent in two young generals to help them, Najenda and Esdeath." Tatsumi's eyes widened slightly at the mention of the boss' name. "To make a long story short, Esdeath and her men absolutely slaughtered those savages. Her powers were so fearsome that they even worried Najenda. Once Esdeath and her men had decimated the enemy, they turned their sights on the savage's village. There Esdeath turned her men loose, allowing them to do whatever they pleased. Esdeath thought of it as them reaping their rewards for defeating their enemies. Her men murdered and raped their way through the entire village, stealing anything valuable and burning the rest. Once her men were finished, Esdeath spared three savages, so that they could live the rest of their lives never being able to unsee what they had seen, and so that they could spread word of what had happened. That sick brutality and utter cruelty is what drove Najenda to leave the empire and join the revolutionary army."

"That's pretty messed up." I muttered, as I took a seat on the couch next to Leone. "To make those three watch as she took everything from them."

"That's what Esdeath aims to do. She just wants to create more conflict." Lubbock said, rubbing the back of his head. "So that she can continue to enjoy the rush of battle."

"I'm so glad I didn't try to fight her." Leone said, as she stared down into her empty sake glass. "That woman is seriously bad news. The scent of blood was so strong on her that it even made me sick. I can't imagine the millions of people she and her men have killed."

"She must be as quite the monster for both of you to talk about her like that."

I glared at Lubbock, as the green-haired assassin dug through his pack. "If you're so curious about Esdeath..." I quirked an eyebrow when Lubbock handed me a flyer. "You can check her out in person. Apparently Esdeath is holding a civilian combat tournament. The winner gets a large cash prize. That would help you with your plan to send money to your village, right?"

"Combat tournament, huh? _Of course, that was today."_ I muttered, as I rubbed my chin. "I'm confident that I can win, but there still could be hidden dangers...But this is my chance to see this Esdeath woman in person...that's a chance I can't pass up." Making up my mind, I rose from the couch. "Alright, I'll do it. If I do this I can kill two birds with one stone."

* * *

 **Two Hours Later; Capital's Colosseum:**

"*Yaaawn* How utterly uninteresting..." Esdeath muttered in a bored tone, resting her head on her fist. The capital's most feared general looked bored beyond belief as she watched the two men fight down below.

"What do you think of those two general?" Ran asked, as he set down a fresh glass of wine for Esdeath.

"Boring men make for an equally boring battle..." Esdeath drawled, stifling yet another yawn. "As I thought, there isn't a single **Imperial Arms** user among them...will I see anything remotely exciting from these fights?"

"I see..." Ran said, as he watched the fight below reach its end. "Ah, looks like the battle has been decided. The next fight will be the last one."

"Hmm, I won't hold my breath..." Esdeath said, swirling the wine in her glass.

Down on the fighting ring, Wave was tasked with announcing the fighters in the tournament. "In the east corner! We have Kalbi the Butcher!" The crowd erupted in cheers as a massive bullheaded—he even had the nose ring—man walked into the ring. "And in the west corner! We have Tatsumi the Blacksmith!"

"That one is just a mere boy..." Ran said, as Esdeath perked up a bit in her seat. Something about the fiery determination in the my eyes caught her attention. For some reason she couldn't seem to take her eyes off me.

 _"Maybe I will see something interesting after all."_ Esdeath thought with a hidden smirk on her face. _"Show me what you have to offer, Tatsumi."_

"That's quite the interesting alias." Leone said, as she leaned back in her seat. "Can Tatsumi actually forge anything?"

"He's not quite as good as me, but he's got some serious skills. If he wanted to, he could probably open his own shop." Lubbock said with a confident smile, crossing his arms over his chest. "I taught him how to forge metals when I was training him last."

"I know Tatsumi will win this fight...but I can't help but feel a little on edge...as if something bad is about to happen..." Leone thought, as she scanned the arena around her. Her golden eyes narrowed when they landed on Esdeath. "I'm especially keeping my eyes on her."

"Well aren't you a little runt." Kalbi snorted, staring down at me. "You should probably back out now while you have the chance kid. That prize money is as good as mine."

 _"This guy..."_ Wave thought, as he gazed at Kalbi with a hint of disgust. _"He may be an arrogant prick, but he does look really strong...well whatever."_ Raising his arm, Wave made sure both fighters were ready. "Begin!"

 _"Before I got to the capital I would have been a sniveling mess right now...but right now, thanks to everyone's training, I'm as calm as ever..."_ I thought, sliding into my fighting stance. _"Compared to the Three Beasts...this guy is a complete weakling."_

Fight

"I gave you a chance kid! Now here I come!" Kalbi exclaimed, as he charged forward with his fist cocked back. "Blasting Fist Full Course!"

Taking one last calming breath, I leaped over Kalbi's fist; Akame's speed training coming into full effect. Kalbi immidiately lost track of me as I raced around him. The bullheaded man was so distracted trying to locate me, that he didn't noticed that I was directly underneath him. Cocking my fist back, I struck Kalbi in the balls. Coughing up a mouthful of blood, Kalbi doubled-over clutching his groin. I didn't give my enemy any time to react or recover. Crouching down, I swept out Kalbi's legs. I raced around behind Kalbi, and shattered his arm. Kalbi roared in pain as he cradled his now broken arm. Still, I continued my onslaught. After circling back around, I hit Kalbi with a barrage of fiery punches to the head and chest, using all the knowledge that Leone had taught me. Once I was finished, Kalbi was a bruised and bloody mess. But the stubborn bastard refused to give up and tried to stand back onto his feet. I decided to finally finish the fight and hit Kalbi with a powerful roundhouse kick to the head. Kalbi's head snapped back as he collapsed to the ground, completely unconscious.

Tatsumi wins-Flawless Victory

 _"Now that was something interesting..."_ Esdeath thought, as she gazed at me with growing curiosity.

"That boy has amazing talent general..." Ran said, staring at me in awe. "He defeated such a powerful enemy with ease."

"That's it!" Wave exclaimed, as he raised his hand into the air. "The winner is Tatsumi!" Instantly the crowd erupted into roaring cheers, everyone excited to see the clear underdog win the fight.

 _"Everyone...is cheering for me..."_ I thought, a sudden feeling of elation flowing through my body as I basked in the crowd's cheers. Suddenly a light blush spread across my face and I smiled brightly. "I did it!" That was a mistake I made last time. _"Oops!"_

That single smile would end up changing my life; Up in her spectator box, Esdeath's heart pounded rapidly in her chest as a bright blush formed on her face. The empire's feared general clutched a hand over her thundering heart and slowly rose from her seat. She couldn't believe it. After all this time searching, she had finally found him. She had finally found her true love. "I've found him."

"Hm?" Ran muttered, as he watched Esdeath rise from her seat. "Is he a candidate for wielding an **Imperial Arms**?"

"That too...but I'm talking about something else." Esdeath said, beginning to make her way down the steps toward the ring.

As Esdeath made her way down the steps a hush fell over the crowd. I hadn't noticed that Esdeath was approaching me until she was halfway down the steps. But when I did finally took notice of her, I began to have a mini panic attack. _"What the hell!? She's coming to the ring herself!? SHIT! SHIT! What do I do!?"_

"You're name is Tatsumi...correct?" Esdeath asked, as she stopped a few feet away from me. "That's a good name."

"T-Thank you." I said, my voice sounding much more scared pathetic than I wanted. _"Damn it...why am I so nervous? So...this is really Esdeath? She doesn't seem so bad so far...in fact she's quite beautiful, now that I remember. But, I can't let my guard down...she was the leader of the Three Beasts...and because of her Big Bro...stop it!"_ I thought, as I looked Esdeath up and down. I blushed lightly as I drank in the general's beauty. _"Man, she really is pretty. I still don't get it...this woman is supposed to be some type of sadistic mass murderer? I know she works for the empire, but she seems like an alright person from what I can tell."_

"Your match just now...it was flawless." Esdeath complimented, resting her hands on her hips. "I would like to personally give you, your reward."

"Thank you very much." I said, as I nodded my head. _"I know it's coming from my enemy, but money is money. And I need to send whatever I can back to my village."_ My blush darkened another shade when I saw Esdeath reach into her cleavage to retrieve my prize. However, I was, once again, completely unprepared for when I heard something click around my neck.

"From now on..." Esdeath said in a hushed and husky tone. "You belong to me Tatsumi."

"Huh?" I said, my eyes shooting down to the collar and chain around my neck. _"HUH!? Not again!"_

"Come now, there are far too many distractions here." Esdeath said, as she began to drag me out of the arena, I immediately fighting against her. "You're coming back to the palace with me."

"WAIT! HOLD UP!" I roared, frantically prying at the collar around my neck. "WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE!? WHAT DO YOU MEAN I BELONG TO YOU NOW?! I ALREADY HAVE A-"

"I can't wait any longer..." Esdeath said, as she delivered a swift chop to my neck. Within seconds the world around me started to go black.

 _"Oh crap..."_ I thought, my vision starting to fade. _"Here we go, again..."_

"Don't worry my dear, we'll talk in my room..." Esdeath said sweetly, as she hugged my unconscious form against her breasts. "In private...just the two of us." With a victorious smile, Esdeath carried me out of the arena.

"W-What the hell just happened?!" Lubbock yelled, his eyes open in shock.

* * *

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	12. Chapter 12: Tatsumi 6

**Kill the Temptation: Tatsumi 6**

"What?!" Akame exclaimed, slamming her hands onto the meeting room's table, "What do you mean he was kidnapped by Esdeath?!"

"When Esdeath came down to give Tatsumi his reward, she slapped a collar around his neck and dragged him off...not before she knocked him unconscious though..." Leone said, as she hung her head and balled her fists, "I'm sorry Akame, there wasn't anything we could to stop her. We were in the middle of that arena...it would have been a disaster if we tried to rescue Tatsumi."

"*Sigh* You don't have to apologize Leone, you made the right call." Akame said in an understanding tone, tightly clenching her fists on top of the table, "The last thing we need right now is someone getting hurt when we're already undermanned...Plus, Tatsumi would never forgive himself if you had gotten hurt trying to save him."

"Thanks Akame..." Leone muttered with a small smile.

"So did Esdeath possibly suspect Tatsumi was a member of Night Raid?" Mine asked, as she leaned against a nearby wall. The pinkette appeared to be calm and collected on the outside, but inside she extremely worried about me and was trying her best not to panic. Mine had to suppress her urge to grab **Pumpkin** and go save me herself. She wanted to save me badly, but now was not the time to make irrational decisions, "Because if she does know, he'll be in a lot of trouble."

"I doubt it...but I wouldn't completely rule it out." Lubbock said, as he rubbed his chin, "But Esdeath did say something that was kinda strange. She said that Tatsumi 'belongs to her."

"What?" Akame asked darkly, her left eyebrow twitching as her anger slowly grew, "First this woman steals Tatsumi, now she intends to treat him as some sort of plaything? I won't let that happen..." Everyone was surprised to hear the growing in Akame's voice. The red-eyed assassin was usually the most calm and collected member of the group, but the fierce look in her eyes showed that she was upset, and getting was getting angrier with each second that passed. A low growl escaped Akame's lips as she suddenly grabbed **Murasame** and made her way towards the door, "Excuse me everyone, I have to go kill Esdeath now. I'll be back in a little bit."

"Hold on a minute Akame..." Leone said, as she grabbed the back of Akame's shirt. With a light sigh, Leone dragged Akame close and whispered into her ear, "Look, Akame, I understand better than anyone here how you feel right now. I want to run out there and rescue Tatsumi too, but we can't just rush into this without a plan. We're talking about Esdeath here and her new squad of Imperial Arms users. We'll be slaughtered if we act irrationally. Also..." A slight blush spread across Leone's face as she locked eyes with Akame, "I don't think Esdeath wants Tatsumi as a pet or plaything." Akame quirked an eyebrow in confusion when Leone said this. "I don't really have anyway to prove this, but...the way Esdeath was treating Tatsumi, aside from knocking him out...she was so gentle and careful with him. And when she spoke to him...her voice was so passionate and maybe even loving. Plus, she was blushing like crazy when she carried him off. I hate to say this Akame, but Esdeath may like Tatsumi."

"Esdeath may like Tatsumi..." Akame repeated, lowering her gaze and relaxing her grip on **Murasame** , "This...we could possibly use this to our advantage."

"What are to talking about, Akame?" Leone asked in a confused tone, "Cause I'm not following you right now."

"I'm not sure how yet, but we might be able to use Esdeath's feelings for Tatsumi to manipulate her somehow..." Akame said, rubbing her chin as she thought, "But it won't be easy, because Esdeath is loyal to the empire and it will be very difficult to make her devotion waver. And it will be extremely dangerous. If Esdeath catches on Tatsumi will be in trouble."

"That's not a bad idea..." Leone said, as she nodded her head in agreement, "But let's wait until Tatsumi is safe and hear from him before we-"

"Hey!" Ieysayu exclaimed, butting his way in between Akame and Leone, "If you two are done chatting, my best friend has been captured by the most dangerous woman in the empire and I'd like to know what we're gonna do to help him!" His sudden outburst had momentarily shocked both assassins.

"I need to help too!" When Sayo wasn't around me, she was usually quite quiet and reserved, so she must have been quite upset for her to raise her voice like that(After Ieysayu), "Now, Akame, you're the acting leader right now, what are we going to do?!"

"We do know that he was taken to the palace..." Lubbock added, as he crossed his arms over his chest, "But aside from that we don't have much info to go on."

"Tatsumi..." Akame muttered, clenching her teeth and tightly balling her fists. The red-eyed assassin couldn't help but remember the promise that I had made, "He promised that he'd always come back safely...I know he won't break that promise. He will get out of there safely and come back to us."

"Akame..." Mine said, as she walked up to the red-eyed assassin, "I hope you aren't gonna suggest some ridiculous idea..." Mine glanced at **Pumpkin** out of the corner of her eye and released a light sigh, "Like that we charge in their and recuse Tatsumi." Mine closed her eyes and crossed her arms over chest, "The palace is full of traps and guards, especially those new Imperial Arms users that the whole capital is talking about. We couldn't get in even, even under normal conditions. And Tatsumi's real identity likely hasn't been found out, so he should be fine." Mine reopened her eyes and smiled at Akame, "Don't worry Akame, Tatsumi will be fine. He'll definitely come back to us."

"Mine..." Akame said, returning the pinkette's smile, "Okay, we can't make any rash decisions right now, so we all need to take some time to calm down and collect our thoughts. For now we'll temporarily move our base deeper into the mountains.

"That's a pretty good idea. We could be found here, and with Tatsumi captured, I'd hate to think that someone followed us back." Lubbock agreed, as shoved his hands into his pockets, "Speaking of Tatsumi...what are we gonna do about him? I know he'll make it through this...I don't want to think the worst but..."

"I know..." Akame said, intently staring at the map of the capital in front of her, "But like I said, we can't just rush in there without a plan...but, Tatsumi is our precious comrade! We'll do everything we can to rescue him!"

"I don't like this..." Sayo said, as she angrily slung her bow over her shoulder, "I want to go save Tatsumi now...but you're right. We'd get shredded if we tried to get him out of there now." Sayo made her way towards the door, but stopped in the doorway, "Akame...we better get Tatsumi back. If he doesn't make it through this I'll never forgive you."

"He'll come back Sayo..." Akame said with a small smile on her face, "He did promise to survive and always come back to us, didn't he?"

"He did..." Sayo muttered, as she lightly chuckled, "And that idiot has never broken a promise before...He better not start now."

* * *

 **Same Time; Capital's Palace:**

"And so..." Esdeath said, presenting me—tied up—to the rest of the Jaegers, "This young man will be our new backup member. His name is Tatsumi."

"Um, you just brought a random civilian in here? Just like that?" Bols asked, as he rubbed the back of his head in confusion, "Isn't that a possible security risk?"

"He'll have everything he could ever want here...he'll never want to leave." Esdeath said sweetly, gently caressing my cheek. I simply kept my cool and glared at Esdeath, "And he's not only our backup member. I'm sure I felt it. Tatsumi is going to be my lover..." my eyes shot open when Esdeath said this. Had I heard her right? Did Esdeath, the most feared woman in the empire, really want me as a lover, again? I couldn't wrap my head around why she would want that. We had only met a fews hours ago, and had barely spoken to each other. Now she wanted me to be her lover all of a sudden. I gasped slightly when Esdeath caressed my cheek again and whispered hotly into my ear, "He's perfect...everything I could want in a man."

"If he's supposed to be your lover, why does he have a collar around his neck?" Wave pointed out, as he gestured to the collar and chain binding Tatsumi.

"Because I like him..." Esdeath replied nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders, "I didn't want him to run away, so I slapped it on him without really thinking."

"Uh, if you want a real lover and not a pet..." Ran said, as he chuckled nervously, "You might want to take that off."

"Hmm...I suppose you're right. Alright, I'll take it off." Esdeath muttered, walking over to me and removing the tight collar. Once again, I was surprised when Esdeath gently caressed my head and smiled at me, "I'm sorry about doing that you, dear. I wasn't really thinking, I hope I didn't hurt you."

 _"Why...the hell did I smile like that?"_ I thought, as I stared at Esdeath in shock.

"While we're on the subject of love..." Esdeath said, untying the remaining ropes that bound me, "Have any of you been in a relationship or married before?" Everyone was shocked to see that Bols was the only one to raise his hand, except me. Esdeath couldn't help the amused smile that spread across her face, "Oho, isn't this a surprise. Is this true Bols?"

"Yes..." Bols replied shyly, as he began to fidget in embarassment, "I've been married to my lovely wife for six years! She's such a wonderful person and I don't deserve her love!"

"U-Um...excuse me..." I said, nervously raising my hand, "I'm honored that you like me Esdeath—Oh, and by the way, way to go, Bols!—but...I have no desire to serve the empire...and I already have a-"

"Heh heh." Esdeath laughed, as she smiled at me, "I'm going enjoy doing something about your disobedience." I blushed hotly when Esdeath whispered seductively into my ear like an archetypal femme fatale, "I know many 'pleasurable' ways to make you obey me, but..." I gulped when Esdeath's smile became sadistic, "I also know many painful ways as well."

"Hey!" I suddenly exclaimed, face beat red and breathing heavily, "Listen to what I have to say!"

"Now, now." Seryu said, as she pushed her way towards the front of the group, "This is all been so sudden, he must be having a hard time adjusting right now." My eyes slowly widened when I spotted Seryu. Within seconds, my surprise was replaced by white hot rage.

 _"She's...she's the bitch who nearly killed Sheele! She's the reason Sayo almost had to mercy kill her!"_ I thought, gritting my teeth and tightly balling my fists. Without thinking, I reached for where I normally kept **Incursio** , but I stopped when I remembered all my weapons had been confiscated, _"That's right...I'm pretty much defenseless right now. I could maybe take one of them in a fist fight, but not all of them at once."_ I lowly growled and lowered my head, _"Dammit! This was my perfect chance to kill her and recover **Extase**! If only I had **Incursio**!"_ I was shaken from my thoughts when I felt someone gently rubbing my head. Looking up, I felt a wave of disgust wash over me, when I saw that it was Seryu, _"This bitch...I don't want her hands on me!"_

"It's going to be okay..." Seryu said with a small smile, as she continued to rub my head, "We're on the side of justice, so you don't have to worry anymore. Do you remember me? We met once-"

"Get your fucking hands off me!" I roared, furiously slapping Seryu's arm away. I was panting with anger as I glared at Seryu. The other Jaegers stared at me in shock, while Esdeath had an amused look on her face. I knew that Bulat had told me that I couldn't act purely based on emotions, but...I had to let this girl know...she had to know that I didn't like her, and that I wanted nothing to do with her, "You speak of justice, but you know nothing of true justice. Your view of justice has been twisted and warped into something foul. I've heard about you...most people in the capital know about you." I clenched my fists as I continued to glare at Seryu, _"I can't let them find out who I really am, so I'll have to keep up my act. I have to make them believe I'm just some random guy that lives in the capital. I'm sorry Bro, but just this time I'm acting purely based on my emotions."_ I suddenly chuckled darkly and locked eyes with Seryu, "I've heard all the rumors, that you use your twisted sense of justice, to kill anyone you deem a criminal. Even if they only committed a minor crime, you wouldn't show any restraint or mercy. But the worst and most disgusting thing is that you feed that little dog of yours people. From people stealing some food just to survive, to death row inmates who would likely have received a much less painful death if they had simply been publicly executed." my harsh words seriously stung Seryu and tears were pooling the corners of her eyes, "How many people has that little monster eaten? How many wrongly imprisoned people have you fed that thing?"

"But-" Seryu tried to speak, as tears streamed down her cheeks. However, I cut her off, deciding to put the final nail in the coffin. I would tell a half lie and hopefully drive home that I wanted nothing to do with Seryu, but at the same time keep my real identity a secret.

"A friend of mine was close to being killed by you. She simply stole a loaf of bread from a bakery to feed her family. Now, because of you, she's crippled. Your intentions on doing these things is good, but in the end, you're just one of the villains. Now you understand why I don't want a monster like you touching me."

"I-I don't even remember..." Seryu cried, as she chocked back a sob. The way I had so casually called her a monster really struck a cord within her.

"That doesn't surprise me." I said coldly, continuing to glare at Seryu, "With all of the people you've killed, why would you remember an innocent bread thief? Killing others is never justice, no matter how noble the cause."

"I...I...I'm sorry!" Seryu exclaimed, before she sprinted out of the room, with **Coro** following closely behind her.

"*Sigh* I'll go calm her down." Ran said, leaving the room to follow after Seryu.

"I apologize for that outburst." I said, as I turned to face Esdeath, "But now you know why I can't work for the empire."

"It's quite alright Tatsumi..." Esdeath said, waving her hand nonchalantly, "I don't much care for you upsetting one of my subordinates, but I do admire the fire and passion that burns within you...That's actually one of the things that drew me to you in the first place."

* * *

 **One Hour Later; Lake Gyogan Bandit Fort:**

"We've all memorized the base's layout and enemy's locations, but what is our strategy?" Ran asked, staring at the sprawling fortress before them.

"Justi-...We'll fight them fair and square." Seryu said, as she caught herself before she could say anything about justice. She needed time to think after this mission, time to reassess her view on justice, "So we'll take them head on. They won't expect it and it will allow us to take advantage of their confusion."

As the Jaegers went over their battle strategy, Esdeath and I observed from a nearby cliff. Esdeath sat close to me, but not close enough to make me feel uncomfortable. I nervously glanced at Esdeath as I tightly gripped my pant legs. _"This is another possible opportunity to escape, but there's no way I'd make it very far. Without Incursio, Esdeath would catch me in no time...plus, I have to get a good read on the Jaegers power, so I can report back to everyone when I do eventually get out of here."  
_  
"We'll watch the battle unfold from up here." Esdeath said, crossing her legs, "It should be quite the show."

"I can't help but feel bad that I'm the only one relaxing..." I said without thinking, as I looked down at my hands. However, I was stunned when Esdeath reached over and squeezed one of my hands. Looking up, I saw a small smile and a bright blush on Esdeath's face, _"Aw Shit! I'm really screwed! She looks just like a normal lovestruck girl right now...I don't get this woman. One second she acts like this, then the next she's a heartless killer...I still don't know what to think of her...Anyways, I'll have to do my best while I'm still with her to draw out this side of her more often."_

"Watch closely Tatsumi." Esdeath said, spotting the Jaegers as they approached the bandit camp, "This is going to be quite the show."

The bandit fort was quiet in the night, most of the men already asleep. A few guards were the only ones still awake at this hour. The guard that was watching the front entrance was doing his best to stay awake, but it was ultimately a losing battle. However, just as his eyelids began to droop, he spotted several figures approaching the front gate. Shooting to his feet, the guard sounded the alarm, "We've got intruders! Everyone get your lazy asses up!" At once the camp sprang to life, as bandits raced to grab guns and other various weapons. After barely a minute the entire camp was gathered at the front gate. When the bandits had finished assembling they were all surprised to see only six intruders. However, none of the bandits had any idea just who they were up against.

"Hey! Do you idiots know where you are!?"

"Yeah, you've got some serious balls to just waltz up to our front door like this!"

"There's no way we're gonna let you live to tell anybody about our hideout!"

"Hey boys! They got some serious hotties with them!"

"Hell yeah! Let's finish this quick and have some fun with 'em!"

"With the help of the doctor's **Imperial Arms** , I will clear the path for us." Seryu said, as she began to advance towards the group of bandits.p, "You villainous scum are a cancer on this country and I will take you all down. **Coro**. Number 5." Seryu extended her right arm, just as Coro enlarged itself. Then, to my and the bandit's shock, Coro sank its teeth into Seryu's arm, "In exchange for both of my arms...I gained a new power from the doctor..." As Coro released Seryu's arm, the appendage was replaced by a massive drill, " **Judgement of the Ten Kings**!" Leaping into the air, Seryu began to feel the familiar rush of adrenaline as she prepared to attack the bandits, " **Justice: King of Hell's Spear**!" Seryu rocketed forward, her drill decimating everything in its path. Blood and body parts rained down as Seryu tore through the bandit's ranks. Any enemies Seryu missed, **Coro** would sweep through and mop up, devouring any bandits in its path.

"Shit! This bitch is really bad news! We have to alert the boss! Hurry up and get those damn gates closed!"

"That won't help you." Seryu said, a twisted grin spreading across her face as she extended her arm once again, " **Coro**! Number 7, now!" This time Seryu's drill was replaced by a large cannon, " **Justice: Towering Mountain Cannon**!" With a maniacal laugh, Seryu blew open the gates, along with any bandits that were in the way.

 _"She...really is a monster..."_ I thought, staring at the massacre before me in horror. The front of the fort was covered in blood and littered with dozens of bodies, _"If all the Jaegers are as strong as her...we might have a serious problem on our hands..."_

"Heh, I created those weapons she's using." Stylish said with a smirk, adjusting his glasses. Raising his hands, Stylish showed off his **Imperial Arms**. "The **Glorious Hands of God: Perfector** ; It increases the dexterity of my fingers several hundred fold. It's the ultimate stylish **Imperial Arms**!" Stylish snapped his fingers and pointed at Run and Wave, "No matter how grave your injury is, as long as you're not dead, I can fix you up perfectly! If you want I can even throw in some stylish cyborg weapons!"

"Haha, I think I'll pass on the weapons." Ran said with a nervous chuckle, as he sweatdropped.

"I'm all gung ho for the healing..." Wave said, standing protectively in front of Stylish, "But if you've got a support-type **Imperial Arms** , you'll need to be protected."

"Heh heh, save that sweetness for when we're alone." Stylish said, as he poked Wave's cheek.

 _"If he touches me like that one more time, I'm going to be the one killing him."_ Wave thought, his brow twitching in irritation.

"Um...I hate to interrupt, but..." Ran said, pointing towards the demolished gate behind them "While we were sitting here chatting, Kurome already went in."

"Damn she's fast." Wave commented, as he placed his hands on his hips.

"Tch, that little brat should have been listening to my stylish explanation." Stylish said, crossing his arms over his chest in irritation.

Inside the fort, Kurome had separated from Seryu and began to cut her way through any bandits she saw. Eventually Kurome found herself in the center of the fort, a trail of bisected and headless bandits in her wake. However, when Kurome stepped into the courtyard she was immidiately encircled by a large group of bandits. But Kurome wasn't worried, she merely counted the number of bandits surrounding her and added them to her growing body count.

"Th-This girl..."

"She may look cute, but she's deadly!"

"We have to take her out quick!"

All of the bandits readied their weapons and prepared to attack Kurome at once. But in the blink of an eye, Kurome had leaped out of the circle of bandits and landed behind them. Before anyone could even react, Kurome struck with **Yatsufusa**. In an instant the bandits fell to Kurome's blade one-by-one. Blood stained Yatsufusa and the ground, and severed limbs littered the the courtyard. Kurome smiled as she sheathed Yatsufusa. "I didn't even have to use any of my abilities...what a shame." Kurome said, as she crouched down next one of the dead bandits. "If I cleaned you all up and rearranged you, we could play together forever...my cute little dolls." However, as Kurome continued to inspect the dead bandits, she apparently didn't notice a single survivor that had hidden around a corner. The bandit readied his pistol and took aim at Kurome. But before the bandit could fire, Wave flew in and kicked the bandit in the jaw. The bandit fell back and smashed his head against a wall, killing him instantly.

"There's no need to thank me." Wave said in a cocky tone, placing his hands in his pockets as he walked up to Kurome. The dark-haired man thought he couldn't look any cooler right now, but his hopes were dashed when Kurome next spoke.

"Uh, I already knew he was there." Kurome said in a bored tone, as she pulled out a hidden throwing knife. "But because of you I didn't have to waste this...so thanks I guess."

"Oh, Yeah, Right...!" Wave said in a dejected tone, hanging his head in defeat.

In another part of the bandit fort, Bols was dodging a volley of arrows as he sprinted towards one of the outer walls. Bols dove behind cover once he was close enough and prepared his flame thrower **Imperial Arms** , **Invitation to Purgatory: Rubicante**. Taking a deep breath, Bols leaped out of his cover just as another wave of arrows was fired at him, "Someone has to do this job." As soon as these words left Bols' mouth, a searing stream of flames erupted from **Rubicante**. The arrows that were flying towards Bols were instantly burned to ashes and the entire wall was encased in flames. Soon the air was filled with the screams of the bandits that were unfortunate enough to be caught in Bols' flames. All of the burning bandits began to scramble around, searching for anything to douse the scorching fire, "It's nothing personal."

All of the surviving bandits began to make their escape out of the fort. But they had barely taken five steps, before something pierced their skulls. Two of the bandits collapsed to the ground dead immidiately, but one managed to spin around and catch a glimpse of his killer. All he saw was what appeared to be angel framed against the moon, before his entire world went black. The bandit's attacker was actually Ran, who had used his winged **Imperial Arms** — **Thousand Mile Flight: Mastema** —to kill the bandits with razor sharp feathers which were as deadly as any blade, "I'm sorry, but I cannot allow anyone to escape." Ran said, beginning his descent towards the ground.

The bandit fort at Lake Gyogan lay in flaming ruins. Countless bodies littered the ground and the air reeked of blood. The Jaegers had fallen back to regroup after their first successful mission, all of them except Seryu. The auburn-haired girl walked through the destroyed fort, searching for any surviving bandits. **Coro** lazily followed behind Seryu; the **Imperial Arms** was stuffed from eating dozens of bandits. Seryu searched through the fort high and low and came up with nothing. However, just when she was about to call off her search, she heard the sounds of soft whimpering. A twisted smile spread across Seryu's face, as she prepared to kill one last evildoer. After rounding a corner, Seryu spotted a blood-covered bandit sitting on the ground. The bandit looked to be in his mid-twenties, he was crying softly as he clutched the remains of his left arm, which was severed from the elbow down. When the bandit spotted Seryu he screamed in terror and frantically began to back away from the Jaeger. As Seryu stalked towards her prey, her smile seemed to grow wider and more twisted with each step. Seryu only briefly stopped her advance to grab a discarded sword off the ground, she would use it to chop apart this villain piece by piece. Eventually the bandit backed himself up against a wall. Eyes full of fear, the bandit desperately searched for anyway to escape, but his heart sank when he found none, "P-Please...please don't kill me...have mercy..." The bandit pleaded, as he raised his one good arm defensively. However, Seryu wasn't swayed by his words, and raised her blade. Seeing that he was about to die, the bandit began to sob as he curled up into a ball. But just before she swung, the bandit said something that made her pause "Please...I didn't even want to join these guys...they dragged me with them after they raided my village...they threatened my family..." This time the bandit's words seemed to affect Seryu and her grip on the sword loosened, "Please...I have a wife and two baby girls...my girls aren't even two yet...I was sending any money I could scrape together to them...if I die they'll starve...please...if I die my family will die as well...please let me live...I won't say a word to anyone...I'll return to my family and we'll leave this country...you'll never hear or see me again...please just spare me."

The bandit's words seemed to have touched Seryu's heart, the part of her heart that longed to protect the innocent. The auburn-haired Jaeger's hands began to shake as she grit her teeth. Seryu glanced down at the defenseless bandit before and her heart began to waver. She knew that the bandit could easily be lying just to save his skin. But something about his tone spoke to Seryu and told her that he was telling the truth. This was only strengthened when a note from them fell out of his pocket. As Seryu stared back at the bandit with ever softening eyes, my words from earlier ran through her mind.

 _"With all of the people you've killed, why would you remember an innocent bread thief?"_

 _"Now you understand why I don't want a monster like you touching me."_

 _"A monster like you."_

 _"Monster."_

After a few more moments of thinking, Seryu made up her mind and decided the bandit's fate. The begging bandit yelped in surprise when the sword Seryu was holding fell to the ground in front of him. Hesitantly, the bandit looked up Seryu. The auburn-haired girl was shaking slightly as she tightly balled her fists. She was hanging her head, her bangs covering her face, "Get out of here."

"H-Huh?" The bandit said in a surprised tone, "W-What did you say?"

"I said get the hell out of here!" Seryu exclaimed, pointing towards an exit that would allow the bandit to escape without being seen, "I won't say anything to my teammates, so leave before I change my mind!"

"T-Thank you!" The bandit yelled, as fresh tears formed in his eyes, "I can't thank you enough! You just saved my family!"

"One last thing..." Seryu said, digging through her pockets. After searching for a few seconds, Seryu pulled out a small first aid kit. "Here." The bandit looked absolutely stunned as he carefully took the small medkit, "It isn't much, but use this to patch yourself up before you head home. You'll still need to see a doctor though, but this will help stop the bleeding and let you make it back home."

"Thank you...thank you..." The bandit repeated several times, as he shot to his feet, "We probably won't meet again, so I wish you the best of luck miss."

"Just get out of here..." Seryu said, turning around and walking away. Once Seryu was far enough away, she leaned against a wall and sank to the ground. With a heavy sigh she clutched her head, _"What the hell is going on with me?"_

Up on my vantage point, I stared at the destruction that lay before me in a mix of awe and terror, "W-Woah..." I breathed out, just as an explosion rang out from the bandit fort, _"This is bad...really bad. Those guys are all extremely strong. I have to get out of here and warn the others. We have to get stronger, so that we can take these guys on. But..."_ I pulled out the amulet, and sure enough, all the Jaegers, except Stylish and Bols, was on it, _"You have GOT to be kidding me!"_

"Tatsumi...I'll personally train you." Esdeath's sweet voice pulled me from my thoughts, "And then you'll be able to do things like that."

"It's funny..." I said, turning to face Esdeath with a small smile on my face, "You're actually pretty nice...and it's really confusing me."

"Oh..." Esdeath said with an amused smile, as she rested her head on her hand. The empire's most feared general had a slight blush on her face as she leaned toward me, "Am I different from the stories you've heard about me?"

I didn't answer for a few moments, I simply stared at the horizon. Eventually, I turned to look at Esdeath again, I figured now was a good time to try and start winning her over, "Actually yes." Esdeath seemed rather surprised by my reply, and quirked an eyebrow in confusion, "From what I've heard, I expected you to be some heartless monster who just goes around killing people." Esdeath appeared to be unfazed by my rather rude thinking of her, but on the inside my words stung her just a little. "But...now that I've spent some time with you...I think my opinion of you is starting to change. I can tell that you still have a sadistic side, but I've also seen your sweet and caring side, at least when you're with me. And I'd be lying if I said I didn't like that side of you." With each word I spoke, Esdeath's blush seemed to darken, _"Time to go in for the kill...again."_ I suddenly pretended to be flustered and began to rub the back of my neck, "Plus...you're a beautiful woman...one of the most beautiful women I've ever seen..." It wasn't a lie, Esdeath was a stunning woman, and if she wasn't working for the empire—or if I didn't have pre-existing feelings for Mine—I was positive I would have fallen head over heels for her. My acting seemed to have the desired effect. Esdeath released a slight gasp and clutched a hand over her thundering heart.

"I...I've never felt this way before..." Esdeath said with a growing smile, her blush darkening once again, "I've never loved someone like this before...it's strange...but it's not bad."

 _"Elder Gods help me!"_

"Tatsumi? Are you okay?" Esdeath asked, standing back onto her feet, "You've been quiet for a while now."

"O-Oh, I'm fine! Sorry for making you worry!" I exclaimed, as I nervously chuckled, "I-I was just wondering where I'd be staying from now on."

"Oh that's easy..." Esdeath said, walking up to me and running her hand down my cheek, "You'll be staying in my room."

 _"Shit..."_ I thought, as my eyes shot open. _"This either going to be really good...or really bad."_

* * *

 **Two Hours Later; Esdeath's Room:**

I nerve-wrackingly sat on the edge of Esdeath's bed, the sounds of a running shower filled the room. My heart was racing, as I tried to think of what to say to Esdeath. _"Why did I ever agree to this?"_ Tonight would be my best chance to start convincing Esdeath, I had to plant some seeds of doubt within her mind. But I couldn't seem to concentrate, because my mind kept wandering...envisioning what Esdeath would look like in the shower right now. However, I told myself, _"Snap out of it, man! Alright, just convince her to join the revolution. Do it...take control...take her down like a tomcat! I must not let her intimidate me!"_ I was shaken from my thoughts when I heard the door to Esdeath's bathroom open. When I turned to look at Esdeath, I expected her to be dressed or in a robe, hell even just a towel. But I did not expect her to walk into the room wearing just a white button-up shirt, one that barely reached down below hips. Esdeath had left the top several buttons of the shirt undone, exposing her upper stomach and cleavage to me. I gaped as I stared at Esdeath's barely clothed body, mainly her large breasts which looked like they were about to pop out of her shirt. Esdeath was very well endowed, almost on par with Leone's, and I bet Ieysayu and Lubbock wouldn't help but appreciate that if they had the chance.

"Sorry for making you wait." Esdeath said, brushing some still damp hair out of her face.

"I-It's no problem..." I muttered, as I turned my head.

Esdeath thought my flustered face was very cute. With a soft chuckle, Esdeath sat down next to me, "Would like anything to drink."

"N-Nope! I'm totally fine!" I exclaimed, feeling my nervousness rise.

"You seem awfully nervous Tatsumi. Are you feeling alright?" Esdeath asked, as she decided to tease me a little. My face burned bright red when Esdeath pressed her forehead against mine, "Hmm, it doesn't feel like you have a fever or anything."

"I-I'm okay! You don't have to worry about me!" I said, frantically waving my arms.

"You're so cute when you're nervous." Esdeath said, as she cupped my cheek, "Well I don't know the proper etiquette for these kind of things...but if we follow our hearts everything should work out just fine, don't you think?"

"Uh...there's something I wanted to ask..." I said, getting Esdeath's attention, "You said you liked me, didn't you?" Instead of answering, I was completely caught off guard when Esdeath lunged forward and captured my lips in a passionate kiss. Every instinct told me to push Esdeath off me, but I couldn't muster the strength to do it, and if I was gonna be honest, I didn't want to. Esdeath's lips were incredibly soft and she was surprisingly good kisser, despite having no prior experience.

I would deal with the consequences later, for now, I would simply enjoy this kiss. When Esdeath broke off the kiss, she was straddling my hips.

"If I didn't..." Esdeath said, as she gently stroked my cheek, "I wouldn't have done that."

"Now's as good of a time as ever." I thought, taking a breath to calm my raging hormones, "Can I ask you another question?"

"All right, go on ahead." Esdeath said, as she sensually rubbed my chest, "Ask nice and loud so I can hear you."

"Why do you serve the empire?" I asked, causing Esdeath to quirk an eyebrow, "I hate the current empire and I can't understand why you would work for it. Like I said earlier I have no desire to work for the empire, and if I do fight it's going to be with the revolutionary army."

"Well I'm not too surprised, most people these days tend to hate the empire." Esdeath said, as she rubbed her chin, "But the reason I serve the empire is quite simple. The empire is incredibly strong and I only cooperate with those who are strong. Weaklings will only slow you down and need to left in the dust to die."

"But the empire isn't strong! It's falling apart!" I exclaimed, sitting up on my elbows. Esdeath was slightly surprised when I got right in her face, "This country is ruled from the shadows by the minister! He uses dirty tactics and fear to keep control! He's nothing but a big, fat coward! Those who are strong don't use tricks like that! They face their foes head on and defeat them with their own skills, not underhanded tactics! You're strong Esdeath, so you should be able to see that the minister is making this country weak and that he will lead it to ruin!" It was only for a brief moment, but I saw doubt flicker through Esdeath's eyes, "I'm asking you just think about what I said and take it to heart."

"Tatsumi..." Esdeath muttered, before she slapped me across the face, "You're talking to a general in the imperial army, don't forget that."

 _"I knew it wouldn't work right away, but I know I saw it..."_ I thought, rubbing my red cheek, _"I know I got through to her, if only for a moment. She doubted the empire for a second and that's all I needed. I've planted the seeds of doubt in her mind all I need to do now is nurture them and make sure I don't ruin the trust she has in me. Heh...I had to at least try..."_ I joked, as I smiled softly at Esdeath, "But Esdeath, if you don't think about what I said, we might end up as enemies one day and I'd hate for that to happen. Because I am starting to like you, Esdeath."

"Oh Tatsumi..." Esdeath said, hugging me close, "You don't have to worry about that. You can just stay here with me forever. I know you've lived a boring life so...but from now on, you will live in comfort. And I don't don't have a lover, you're the only person I regard as a man. You won't ever feel lonely."

"That's another thing..." I said, as I nervously scratched my cheek, "My life has involved fighting demons, sorcerers, even an evil god bent on poisoning the world. And...Uh, I already have a girlfriend."

"Oh?" Esdeath said, perking up with a sadistic smile on her face, "I'll enjoy the competition then. But know this, I will win and you will be mine."

"Don't think it'll be that easy..." I muttered underneath my breath, "Anyways, it's not right that only I should get to be happy."

"What? Do you have a family?" Esdeath asked, as she placed comforting hand on my knee, "I can arrange for them to be heavily guarded, it will be quite easy."

"No, it's not that..." I said, tightly gripping the bedsheets, "For one thing, my birth parents are dead. But, more importantly, I want a country...where everybody can live happily. That's why this corrupted empire needs to go. I know that you believe in survival of the fittest and that the weak needed to be weeded out, but I can't accept that!" I stood onto my feet and looked at Esdeath with eyes full of determination and passion, "I'm sorry, but can't like someone who thinks like that! If you care about me, even a little, then please reflect on everything I've said and think about what's really important!"

 _"I...also love this look...but..."_ Esdeath thought, as she stared up at me with a growing blush. I knew that Esdeath wouldn't fall for my little speech, but I was surprised when she didn't speak immediately. Esdeath appeared to be in deep thought for a few moments, as she bit her bottom lip, "I can't..." Esdeath got off the bed and pointed at me, "Don't get the wrong idea Tatsumi! I'm not going to be influenced by you! You're going to be influenced by me! There will be no other way!"

"Well, you're welcome to try, but you won't change me...even if you torture me." I said, crossing my arms defiantly over my chest, "I've been through near-impossible odds already, and I don't give up very easily."

"Heh, my you're quite stubborn." Esdeath said with a small smile, _"But I guess that's why..."_ Esdeath's smile softened as she closed her eyes, _"You can smile like that..."_ Esdeath looked down at her chest and clasped both her hands over her heart, _"I want to see that innocent smile of his again...that spirit...I want to support all that Tatsumi is...in that case!"_ I was surprised when Esdeath suddenly sat back down on the edge of the bed, "Well, you must be tired from all the excitement today. We'll continue this conversation later. For now, let's get some sleep."

"U-Uh, okay...I'll sleep on the couch over there..." I said, as I began to make my way towards the couch on the other side of the room. However, I was stopped when Esdeath grabbed my wrist.

"I promise I won't try anything tonight, so please just sleep in the bed!" Esdeath pleaded, locking eyes with me.

"*Groan* Fine, I'll sleep in the bed..." I said, which caused Esdeath's eyes to light up, "But I'm gonna go take a shower real quick."

"Just so you know, if you cause any type of commotion in the palace..." Esdeath said, stopping me in my tracks, "And try to run away, it'll only end in your death. This place was built specially...to be safe for only those who excel in self-defense. General Budo's guards are everywhere. So forget any funny ideas you might have."

"Don't worry, I wasn't planning anything." I said, as I opened the door to the bathroom, _"Everyone in Night Raid said that the inside of the palace was really dangerous. I guess there is really no way for me to escape while I'm here. And I have no hope of defeating Esdeath one-on-one, I don't even want to right now. I'd rather try to sway her towards our side, fighting her will be my last resort."_ With a light sigh, I walked into the bathroom.

"Hmm..." Esdeath hummed, tapping her chin, _"I probably should have joined him...ah well that will come in time. There's no need to hurry."_ Taking a calming breath, Esdeath lay back against the bed, remembering what Bols had told her earlier in the evening.

 _"The way to win Tatsumi's heart...is by not giving up. I was rejected twice...but I made my move when I saw my chance and won her heart. Just remember that it will take some time."_

 _"Bols said so, too."_ Esdeath thought with a smile, as she began to relax on the bed, _"First thing tomorrow...I'll have Tatsumi join me on a danger beast hunt...then I'll show him what I can really do."_ A light blush dusted across Esdeath's face as she stared at the door to her bathroom, _"I'm going to make you fall for me, Tatsumi...no matter what I have to do...Heh, this way of doing things is very exciting for me. Wait, did he say he fought a god? Hmm...perhaps next time, we should hunt gods...it should be thrilling."_


	13. Chapter 13: Wave 1

**Kill the Hunt: Wave 1**

I was uneasy, because I knew that at that very moment, Quan Chi was stalking me; still trying to convince me to join the "Brotherhood of the Shadow" as a full on revenant. I felt my genes as a born revenant begin to surface; I was trying to withhold this vicious side, doing well for the moment, but it wasn't easy at all. "Soon, you will be with your parents, Tatsumi. Muwahahahaha!"

* * *

 **Morning:**

Wave and Kurome were up; Kurome stuffing herself with candy, and Wave just having a mug of coffee. Then, I walked in.

Wave, "Hey, how did you sleep last night?" Honestly, I was exhausted from a lack of sleep. "Oh, wow! You didn't sleep at all?!"

"No, I was so nervous, I stayed up till the sun came up. She said she wouldn't do anything; Try waking up to find someone using you as a body pillow!"

"You sure you should snack during the day, Kurome?" Wave said, as he took a sip of his coffee.

"Mind your own business." Kurome said, popping another piece of candy in her mouth. She was rather rude.

"You should try to eat more seafood, it's really good for you."

"I wouldn't want to smell like fish all the time, like you do."

"What?! Really?!" He lifted his arm, "Do I smell like fish?!"

Me, "Whoa, no, not really...put your arm down, you're embarrassing yourself." I turned to Kurome, _"So, I also have to save her?! Good choice there, gods!"_

She thought I wanted her candy. "Keep your eyes off of my cookies!"

 _"Yep, definitely Akame's sister!"_

"Got a problem?" Kurome asked, as she slightly glared at me.

"Uh...please don't be offended, but you really look like that Akame girl on the wanted posters." I said, awkwardly; I did what I had last time.

"Right?! I noticed that earlier too!" Wave agreed, as he rubbed his chin.

"Well yeah, I'm related to her, but now she's a traitor to the empire." Kurome said, a dark gaze filling her eyes, "I DO really hope I get to see her again soon. I'll find her...and kill her with my own bare hands. After all...she's my precious older sister."

"Try keeping an open mind; maybe what she did was for a reason."

Wave seemed confused, "Do you really think that?"

"Like I said, keep an open mind."

Just then the door to the dinning room burst open, and Esdeath hurried into the room, now fully dressed in her uniform, "Tatsumi! We're off to Fake Mount; we'll spend the next few days hunting!"

"Fake Mount?"

"You've never been there?" the young woman said, as she adjusted her cap.I "t's in the range beyond the outskirts of the capital."

 _"I have a bad feeling that Quan Chi and his revenants will be waiting!"_

"You two will be joining us." Esdeath explained, turning to face them, "We're hunting danger beasts as well as bandits."

The other two in the room responded, "Roger that."

"Kurome and I will take the East throughout the day. Wave and Tatsumi, you're in charge of the West. We'll exchange partners at night, so Tatsumi will be with me." Esdeath said, a slight blush dusting across her face, " _Monsters that come out at night are especially vicious. It'll be my chance to impress him."_

Outside the door, Dr. Stylish was eavesdropping on us, before walking off(this comes into play later).

"Oh, you're leaving already?" Bols asked, as he walked into the dining room, carrying a tray of tea. "I was just about to finish making breakfast."

"Thanks Bols, but we'll have to pass." Esdeath said, beginning to walk out of the room. "We'll get something on the way to Fake Mount." Esdeath walked passed Bols and stopped in the doorway. "Alright everyone get prepared! I want you all ready to leave in ten minutes!"

"*Sigh* I better go get changed." I muttered, as I made my way back towards Esdeath's bedroom. However, as soon as I exited the dining room, I ran smack dab into Seryu. The auburn-haired girl was quite surprised, and rather flustered, as she stood in front of me.

"H-Hello Tatsumi..." Seryu said quietly, beginning to fidget slightly. "Nice morning isn't it?"

"Yeah." I said coldly, as I glared at Seryu. "Could you please move out of my way? I have to go get ready."

"O-Okay..." Seryu said, stepping to the side. Giving the auburn-haired girl one last piercing gaze, began to I walk past her. However, Seryu bit her bottom lip as she watched me walk by. She knew that I was still very upset with her, and she couldn't really blame me, but she had to say something to me. "Wait." Reaching out, Seryu grabbed my arm, causing the me to go stiff.

"I thought I made it very clear that I don't want you touching me." I spat out, not even turning to face Seryu.

"Please just hear me out." Seryu pleaded, as she gently squeezed my arm. "I just want to say one thing...then you can go."

"Alright, you have one minute." I said, shaking out of Seryu's grasp and turning around. "So make it quick."

"Okay...that's all I need." Seryu said, as she took a deep breath to calm herself. "I've been thinking about what you said to me the other day. You may have been really harsh to me...but I can't help but feel like what you told me possibly had some truth in it...I don't know..." Seryu rubbed her arm nervously as she avoided my gaze. "I'm just really confused right now...and I just wanted to let you know, that what you said has sort of affected me...and I plan to reflect upon my actions and my view of justice..."

"Is that all?" I asked, crossing my arms over my chest. "Because it's good that you're thinking about all the horrible things you've done, but that still doesn't change the fact that I want nothing to do with you."

"I understand..." Seryu said, as she hung her head in shame. "But there was one other thing I wanted to tell you."

"Well spit it out then." I said, releasing a light sigh. "Esdeath wants me ready to go in like eight minutes."

"Yesterday, after we attacked that bandit fort...that's when what you said really hit me..." Seryu said, which caused me to quirk an eyebrow. "We had wiped out most of the bandits, and I was searching through the ruins for any stragglers...I came across one survivor...he was covered from head to toe in blood and most of his left arm was missing...when he saw me...he began to back away in fear...I had grabbed a discarded sword as I approached him. He began to cry and beg for mercy when I raised the sword...he told me how he was forced to join those bandits after they raided his village and threatened his family...he told me about his wife and two young daughters, and how he was sending any money he could gather to his starving family..."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I asked, not understanding the point of Seryu's story.

"Well you see..." Seryu said, as she glanced around to make sure no one else was there. "I spared his life." This caused my eyes to widen for a moment. "I don't know what came over me, but...as I listened to that man beg for his life...I could faintly hear you calling me a monster in the back of my mind...that made me hesitate...so I ended up giving him some basic first aid supplies and then I let him go..." Seryu gently grabbed my hand, causing a chill to run down my spine, similar to the one he had felt when Seryu had first grabbed my hand when she had led me through the slums. "I still don't fully understand why I did that...I guess what you said really has affected me in some ways...Man, I don't know what the others would do if they-"

"Sparing one life doesn't atone for all the terrible things you've done." I said coldly, yanking my hand free of Seryu's. "You still have a very long way to go before you can even begin to cleanse your tainted soul." With one final glare, I turned my back on Seryu and made my way back to Esdeath's room.

"Cleanse my tainted soul?" Seryu repeated quietly to herself, as she watched me walk away. "Have I really become some type of monster?"

* * *

 **Fake Mount:**

Wave and I were doing some friendly bonding. "Man...I know water danger beasts just fine..." Wave said, trailing slightly behind me. "But I'm at complete loss in these damn mountains..."

"Well the danger beasts on this mountain launch surprise attacks using mimicry." I said, as I studied every rock and tree we passed to try and spot any possible danger beasts. "You have to be wary of every stone on the path. It's common knowledge amongst mountain folk."

"I didn't want to say this in front of the team, but you've got it pretty rough, don't you? Let me know if you ever need to vent."

"You have no idea, Wave. I mean, I was already used to being treated like that, anyway."

"Yeah, trust me, I understand that." the blue-haired man said, as he let out a light sigh, "I just get this wierd feeling you and I are kinda similar. Don't you?"

"That's not just a feeling, Wave. One of the big differences, though, is that your story is simple, while mine is absolutely convoluted."

"How's that? Did anything unreal happen to you?"

"Since the day I was born."

"Well...it just feels like we have the same problems..." Wave pondered, as he crossed his arms over his chest, "I'm sure you get it." He hung his head in defeat.

"Yeah, I know that." I then sensed tree danger beasts behind Wave, and drew my sword—which was just given back to me. "Wave, don't move."

He had an uneasy look on his face. "W-What're you doing?!"

"Look out!" I slashed a branch off of one that was about to attack Wave, causing him to turn around and see the others.

"Well, looks like the danger beasts have found us! Unlike aquatic ones, you can't eat 'em!"

"Then let's make firewood!"

* * *

 **An Hour Later:**

All the tree danger beasts were sliced and diced, like the lumber they were.

"Well, that was entertaining!"

"If not sudden!"

"That's just how danger beasts work on land as well, Wave." Then, fans came out of nowhere, "Wave, duck!"

"Where did 'those' come froooooooooo..." Right in front of us was Kitana, as she caught her fans. "Um, who's that?!"

"My mom."

"Yikes! She's appealing, but scary at the same time!"

She spoke, "Return with us, Tatsumi; let us be a family."

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa whoa! Listen, mommy dearest...Tatsumi's not coming with you!"

Fight

Kitana threw her fans one by one at Wave. Then, the latter drew his sword and slashed three times at her. Wave then chained six punches, juggling Kitana. She recovered, and attacked Wave by slashing near his throat. He low kicked her, then chained a scissor kick to toss her into the air. Kitana grabbed a pole she was carrying, and smacked Wave upside the head three times. Wave, then, did three spin kicks, knocking Kitana out.

Wave Wins

"The captain wouldn't appreciate it if you did take him."

Wave didn't notice me leave; not out of cowardice, but because I spotted a black ninja, who resembled Sub-Zero in shape. When he left, I went in pursuit of him, while wearing **Incursio** —I had to put it on at a certain distance from Wave.

"Tatsumi?!" quickly beginning to panic, Wave ran further up the mountain in search of me, "Where'd ya go?" he stopped in his tracks and his eyes widened in fear, _"Don't tell me he ran away..."_ Wave pictured a pissed off Esdeath, "Whaaaaaaaa?! Tatsumi...I get how you feel...but I don't wanna die, either! I'm too young to die!"

* * *

 _ **In case you didn't know, the black ninja was none other than Noob Saibot(Real name: Bi Han; the first Sub-Zero, killed by Scorpion). Yes, he survived "Mortal Kombat 9", he was just in hiding the entire time if you saw certain interaction dialogues between Sub-Zero(Kuai Liang) and either Kung Lao or Bo'Rai'Cho.**_

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	14. Chapter 14: Tatsumi 7

**Kill the Brotherhood of the Shadow: Tatsumi 7**

I followed the black ninja to a nearby river bank, only to find that it was a trap.

"Hello, Tatsumi."

"Quan Chi!"

"I must thank Noob Saibot for bringing you here—though, Kitana almost foiled the plan."

"Stop speaking...You sick son of a bitch!"

Fight

As expected from him, Quan Chi threw an energy skull at me, only for me to summon _Neuntote_ to fling it right back to him. I then chained three punches, and juggled him with an enhanced version of my scissors kick,  Sawblade kick. Quan Chi swiped his sword at me, but I blocked, and countered with an uppercut; and when he almost hit the ground, I performed a series of fiery punches on him. I tossed my spear at him, ending the fight.

Tatsumi Wins

"I thought that we settled this last time! Now, I hafta find Wave!"

* * *

 **Back with Wave:**

Wave was still searching frantically for me. He then looked at his sword; The key to his **Imperial Arms** , _Carnage Incarnate_ : **Grand Chariot**. "I have no other choice..." He thrust the tip of the blade into the ground—"Grand Chariot!"—and an apparition of a danger beast appeared behind, and wrapped around Wave.

* * *

 **Back on the River Bank:**

I was also in search of Wave, but no luck. "Wave! Man, where are you?! Waaaave!" I then noticed I was still wearing **Incursio**. _"Aw, man! There's no way he's going to recognize me. I have to take the armor off."_

I would've, if Wave—wearing **Grand Chariot** —hadn't shown up out of nowhere. "Hey hey...Seems like I've run into a whopper, Huh..."

 _"Wave..."_

"I know that **Imperial Arms**. It's **Incursio** , the prototype for my own **Grand Chariot**..." He pointed his finger at me, "And, having said that...The fact that you're wearing it must mean you're a member of Night Raid, right?!" He then prepared his fighting stance. "Change of plans. The Night Raider standing in front of me takes top priority over finding Tatsumi."

"I have no reason to fight you!"

He readied a punch, "You may not have a reason to fight...but I do!" He then punched me into the mountain side, hard. "And that reason is Night Raid!"

"Agh!"

"I've read the data on you guys. Again and again you indiscriminately carry out your assassinations...you're the villains that are slowly eating away at the peace and security of the capital. To make matters worse, the story is you're somehow connected to the rebel army. Your existence itself is something that can't be forgiven!"

"Open your eyes! It's true that we may murder people. However...The capital is falling apart because of the prime minister! Not Night Raid!" I knew that I had to get out of there, so I tried my luck by leaping away.

"If you're so determined not to fight...then this is going to be quite the one-sided battle."

Seeing as I had no other choice, I decided to fight him as a Shaolin warrior; nonlethal.

Fight

Wave jumped over to, and did an aerial drop kick on me. When he got back up, I did a three-punch combo on him. Then three low kicks, followed by a spin kick. He took out his own version of _Neuntote_ , and thrust it at me five times. I got back up, and grabbed him to do a throw. I then chained in a flying kick, before ending the battle with a fireball.

Tatsumi Wins

"We...Members of Night Raid...are not the bad guys, Wave."

After I leapt away, Wave shot up into the air for one last attack.

 _"Crap!"_

" **Grand Fall**!" with an extremely powerful kick, I was sent plunging into the river. "Perfect Hit!" Then, he realized that I had seemingly disappeared. "I kicked him into the river...but now I've lost sight of him...What? He's gone! Where is he?!...Ahh! He must have escaped using the river current! That's not going to work on a man of the sea!"

Far away, I managed to pull myself ashore, while **Incursio** came off, since that one kick caused enough damage. I was coughing up blood. "Dammit...I thought I would be able to convince them...but now...I can finally return to..." I was interrupted by the sudden arrival of a danger beast. "I'd watch my back if I were you."

With one slash of **Murasame** , Akame sliced the danger beast in two. "Tatsumi! Are you okay?!"

"Yeah, I'll be alright...The only reason I'm still alive is just by luck alone."

She reached her hand out. "Welcome back, Tatsumi."

I did the same, "Yeah...I'm back."

Then, Lubbock grabbed both our hands, and took of with us, as if he were a rocket. "Ta-Dah! Don't you think we should get outta here before all that? Come on! Let's go!"

We took it slow when we reached a proper path. "Thanks. But dammit, Lubbock! You couldn't have just warned us beforehand?!"

"...MMM, well. Originally, I advised them that this was just unnecessary. I mean, if you and Ieysayu weren't there, I'd be the only guy left. It would be like my own harem, and that wouldn't be bad at all."

"Very funny."

Akame whispered into my ear, "Even though he says that, the truth is he was really worried about you too."

"Yeah...I know." was my simple response. "...Night Raid...I knew this is where I really belonged..."

* * *

 **Next Day; Torture Room:**

Wave was having to pay the consequences for letting me escape; having stone tiles stacked on top of his legs, while his knees were on a ridged platform. "...umm...How should I say this...I'm truly very sorry for what I've done. I've deeply reflected on my actions and I apologize."

Esdeath didn't let up. "Due to your inattention, Tatsumi was allowed to escape. But more than that...it's the fact that you allowed a member of Night Raid to escape that is so shameful...Kurome, Stone!"

Akame's sister dropped another stone tile onto the pile. "MMM!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHH!"

"If it was Incursio, then I believe the one inside was the 'Hundred Man Slayer' Bulat. Within Night Raid, he is a person deserving of special attention. And this is why you were told that once found, they could not be allowed to escape. Now the enemy will likely change the location of their hideout. Kurome, Fire!"

Kurome dripped the hot wax of a candle into Wave's neck. "MM!"

"AAAHH! HOOOOOOOOOOOT!"

"*Sigh* Wave...your abilities are top notch, but your mental control is weak. But you are reflecting...So we'll finish playing with you after some water torture and a bit of light whipping. Then we can get past this."

 _"You call that playing?!"_

"But the next time you screw up this badly..." She lifted the hair over her right eye up, revealing a rather menacing glare. "I'll be handling your punishment...personally. So keep that in mind."

"...yes ma'am."

Seryu ran in, carrying **Coro** under her left arm. "General! My apologies. We scoured the entire area around Fake Mount, but we were unable to locate any sign of Tatsumi nor the enemy. Even using **Coro** to track was ineffective!"

"Well, the **Hekatonkheires** is more for battle anyway. Don't worry about it. So, what about Stylish? He's searching as well, is he not?"

"Yes. He seems to be moving on his own...but he's still yet to contact me."

"*Sigh*Well...hopes are thin then."

Ran started discussing something with Esdeath. "General...It's about Tatsumi. You were saying before that there was the possibility he may enter the revolutionary army...Is that really so?"

"Yeah...he boldly tried to convince me to join as well."

"If...he should possibly appear before us as an enemy in the future, how would you like us to deal with the situation?"

Esdeath was silent for a moment. "Honestly...I love Tatsumi even now. My desire for him is burning even hotter now that he's no longer within my grasp. However, the lives of my subordinates take priority over that. Bringing him back alive would be preferable...but if it comes down to you or him, there should be no question. However, it might be impossible to actually kill him! I should have said this before, but he also said that he fought demons, sorcerers, even a god, and won."

Wave, "That's exaggerating...he must be full of himself!"

"No! I could tell...it was all true...just by his aura alone. It's like no other."

* * *

 **That Night; Night Raid's Hidden Base:**

"And that's the extent of the Jaegers' combative force..." I said, as I finished explaining in great detail everything I had seen from the Jaegers.

"So they really are all **Imperial Arms** wielders..." Leone muttered, gritting her teeth. "This is gonna be tough."

"I can't be believe Kurome is one of their members." Akame muttered, as she hung her head.

"Akame...if you don't mind me asking..." I said, getting the red-eyed assassin's attention. "Why didn't you flee the empire with Kurome?"

"When I was leaving...I invited her with me of course..." Akame said, as her eyes filled with sadness. "But my sister chose to stay with the empire...as far as she's concerned...I'm a traitor."

 _"Akame..."_ I thought, as I hated seeing Akame look so sad.

"Hey Tatsumi, was Kurome eating the same thing every time you saw her?" Akame asked, as she locked eyes with me.

"Yeah, now that you mention it..." I replied, rubbing my chin. "She was eating some type of candy every chance she had."

"I see..." Akame muttered, as she tightly clasped her hands. "Kurome...you really are already..."

"Akame!" Mine exclaimed, snapping Akame out of her thoughts. "I know I've said this before...even if she's your little sister, if she attacks us, I'm putting a shot right between her eyes."

"I'm sure Kurome is quite aware of that." Akame said, as she released a light sigh.

"Dammit...I wish I had more information on these **Imperial Arms**." Lubbock muttered, scanning over a book on all known **Imperial Arms** and taking notes. "Seryu's had some enhancements made to her personage, is that right? **Rubicante** 's famous, but it'll be difficult to devise a counter measure for it."

"That flying **Mastema** is mentioned in that book as well." Sayo said, as she leaned over Lubbock's shoulder to gaze at the book.

"But we have no idea what secrets it could hold." Lubbock said in a frustrated tone, scribbling out some of his notes.

I responded, "It throws feather darts that can cleanly pierce through skulls, even when they're armored."

Lubbock said, as he leaned back on the couch he was sitting on, "So that leaves **Grand Chariot** , the armor type **Imperial Arms** , and Perfector."

"And I can attest to how strong **Grand Chariot** is." I said, rubbing my sore arms where Wave had hit me.

"If they have a doctor, I'd want to take him out first." Mine said, as she crossed her arms over her chest. "It'd be very beneficial to have **Perfector** on our side."

"Yeah, that **Imperial Arms** sounds super useful." Sheele said, looking over all the info that I had provided.

 _"If that creepy doctor heard that, he'd be ecstatic."_ I thought, as I sweatdropped. However, I was surprised when I felt someone patting my head. Looking up, I saw Leone smiling at me, before she pulled my face in between her breasts.

"All your hard work really paid off Tatsumi!" Leone cooed, holding me tightly against her chest. "Just knowing who are opponents are is a big help! Well done Tatsumi!"

"I-I'm just glad...the information I provided was useful..." I said, muffled by Leone's ample bosom.

"Alright Leone that's enough, you're gonna suffocate him." Mine said in annoyed tone, her brow twitching ever so slightly.

"Mmm, I think you're just jealous that you can't do this with him." Leone teased, as she released me, as I was quickly catching my breath. "What with those nubs you call breasts."

Mine's face burned bright red in both embarassment and anger, and she was about to chew the busty blonde out, but she bit her tongue and took a calming breath. "Anyways...Tatsumi, after seeing these 'Jaegers' up close, how strong are they?"

"As far as Esdeath goes..." I replied, as I scratched the side of my head. "She was off the charts..." Sayo suddenly clenched her fists.

"Dammit, and we have no idea what her **Imperial Arms** is truly capable of, right." Mine asked, tightly gripping her elbows.

"Nope. We have next to no information on her **Imperial Arms**." Lubbock replied, as he flipped through the book on **Imperial Arms**. "This book has nothing on how far or how thoroughly she can freeze something."

"It's true that Esdeath is strong...but she has one weakness..." Akame said, standing up from her seat.

"And that is?" Sayo asked, as she quirked an eyebrow.

"She's alive...she has a beating heart...and so..." Akame said, raising her **Murasame**. "I will cut it out. Even if she is the empire's strongest!"

"About that..." I said, as I rubbed the back of my head. "I want killing Esdeath...to be our last option."

"What are you talking about, Tatsumi?!" Lubbock asked in a surprised tone. "Esdeath is the empire's most dangerous weapon; she has to be taken out."

"I know she's dangerous...but I still think she can be convinced to join our side." I explained, which shocked everyone in the room. "While I was with Esdeath, I saw a different side of her. You all know her as some sadistic mass murderer, but I saw a different part of her that I doubt many others have. Esdeath does have the ability to be kind and caring, there is light inside her. Esdeath believes that the empire is powerful, and the minister let's her do as she pleases, that's why she stays with them. But while I was captured I managed, if only for a moment, to convince Esdeath that the empire is weakening. I saw it in her eyes, that I had planted some doubt in her. I'll have to talk with the boss, but if we're willing to make some...exceptions...I believe we can convince Esdeath to join us."

"You must be joking?" Mine asked in disbelief. "Because that's the craziest thing I've ever heard."

"So crazy, it just might work..." Ieysayu smart mouthed, only for the pinkette to hit him in the head with a karate chop.

"Do you understand how beneficial it would be if Esdeath joined our side?" I replied, as I avoided locking eyes with Mine. "Not only would it massive boost to our military power, but it would also boost our morale. If the empire's strongest joined the revolutionary army our troops would get a huge confidence boost."

"That is true..." Mine admitted, turning her head to the side. "I just don't know how the hell you're going to do that."

"If I can just talk with Esdeath again, I'm sure I can make some headway." I said, as I tightly balled my fists.

"Wait, you want to meet that bitch again!?" Sayo exclaimed, not believing what she was hearing. "We just rescued you from her!"

"I'm not gonna try to seek her out." I said, as I clutched a hand over my head. "I just can't shake the feeling that I'm going to meet her again...and very soon."

"Why are you so adamant about this Tatsumi?" Leone asked, scooting next to me. "Why do you want to save her so bad?"

"Because Esdeath isn't as bad as everyone makes her out to be. Yes, it's true that's she done some truly unforgivable things, and she will have to pay for her crimes, but it's just how she was raised." I explained, as I clasped my hands and looked down at my lap. "Esdeath believes in survival of the fittest, and that the weak must be rooted out and eliminated. She also has a massive bloodlust. But if I could convince her that her way of thinking is flawed, or at least partially satiate her bloodlust, then I'm sure she would join us."

"Tatsumi..." Akame said, walking up to me and cupping my face. "Are you sure that you can convince Esdeath to abandon the empire?"

"No..." I replied, before I paused briefly. "But I'm not willing to give up. I will do my absolute best to convince her...but if we have to...we will eliminate her."

"Okay." Akame said with a small smile. "We'll try your plan. When the boss gets back, you try and work out a plan with her. But if you can't convince Esdeath, I will take her out."

"I understand..." I said, as I flashed Akame a smile of my own. "Thanks for believing in me Akame."

* * *

 _ **Quan Chi doesn't give up easily. Yes, I'm still developing character movesets; including Wave's. The bios I have finished are on deviant art, so check them out.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	15. Chapter 15: Night Raid Faction 1

**Kill the Mad Scientist: Night Raid Faction 1**

Dr. Stylish had kept on our trail with genetically-enhanced minions by his side; one sniffing our scent with his elongated nose(Hana), another keeping watch with binocular-like eyes(Me), and the only girl listening for faint sounds with her enlarged ears(Mimi). The Doctor himself was getting extremely cocky. "Ohohohoho! Ah, how precious that they tried to cover their scent and hide their footprints! But since I brought my super-enhanced soldiers, it won't do any good. Hoohoohoo! I knew there was something tré funké about that boy! You wouldn't expect a blacksmith to adjust that quickly, am I right?" That was when he discovered the base, and attacked us. "Bingo! Peekaboo, Night Raid, I see you!"

* * *

I had already told everyone about the Jaegers, but they temporarily shook it off for my homecoming party. That resulted in many of us becoming drunk. I, on the other hand, was keeping my guard up, but I decided to take Mine, Akame, and Sheele to their rooms, to put them in bed. Then, Leone came to. "Oh, ugh! We may have celebrated a little too hard last night for Tatsumi's return. Guess we all crashed out here." She walked past Ieysayu who was knocked out on the floor, to make her way to the pond. Leone kneeled down at the edge of the bath, and was prepared to splash some hot water on her face. But she was surprised to see something hazy below the water's surface. Curiosity getting the best of her, Leone leaned in closer to get a better look. The blonde's golden eyes shot open when a sinister looking face appeared in the water below her. Leone barely had time to gasp, before a small blade suddenly rocketed toward her face. With a wet thud the blade impacted, and Leone fell face first into the water.

"Haha! I've done it, master Stylish..." One of Stylish's creations said, as he crawled out of the bath. "...your trusty assistant, Trooma has done it!"

Mimi received what he said. "Good work, now let's continue the mission. He got the first one, Doctor Stylish."

"Marvelous! That's my little knight-in-shining armor; flying straight into enemy headquarters. Alright, go beautiful team Stylish! The capper offensive is officially underway!" Numerous masked soldiers leapt out of the canopy.

"The soldiers have made their way into Night Raid's base."

"Let the show begin! I'm tingling with anticipation."

* * *

 **Inside:**

The invasion didn't go unnoticed—Lubbock, who just regained conscious, was picking up every single vibration with **Crosstail**. "Holy crap! Where'd they all come from all of the sudden?! They're already on top of us!" He then cameLubbock gasped in surprise when someone burst down from the ceiling behind him. "So you assholes are already inside the base?"

"Enemy..." The intruder snarled in a twisted voice. "Must eliminate..." With incredible speed, the attacker rushed at Lubbock, swiping at him with razor-sharp claws, but the greenbean managed to jump to the side to dodge, and at the same time, wrapped several strings around the soldier's neck, in an attempt at snapping it. — _"This is bad! I need to find the rest of the team now!"_ —However, it didn't, and the soldier slashed directly at Lubbock.

* * *

Dr. Stylish was given all the little details on what was going on by Mimi. "It sounds like they got one!"

"Well, my enhanced fighters are more resilient than humans. It takes SERIOUS finesse to put even a scratch on them!"

Mimi noticed something wrong. "Ugh!"

"Is there some kind of problem?"

"Not really. But they seem pretty resilient themselves."

* * *

Luckily for Lubbock, he already wrapped strings around the area he was supposed to be hit at. "You'd be amazed how many awesome tricks I can do with this little bit of string. Check this out!" Lubbock bunched strings together, forming a solid spear. "All I hafta do is bind them together, and viola!" He threw the spear into the soldier's chest, killing him.

"So...creative..."

"Saw that in a manga one time; you wouldn't believe it, but those crazy things are full of ideas on how to manipulate string." Then many more soldiers appeared behind him. "Another one?! No, more than one. Uh, sorry, I'm not so good with groups. I think I'm just gonna pass on you guys, if that's cool." He took off in an extremely comical manner. "Uwaaaahh!" But the soldiers were keeping up to pace no problem. "You don't have to be so fast!"

Then, Akame leaped in front of them from behind. "Get behind me!"

"Akame!" A perverted thought went through Lubbock's head; _"Oh, nice! She didn't have time to change."_

With a few swings of **Murasame** , Akame diced the attackers.

"For being the enemy..." A new voice caused Akame and Lubbock to whip around. That was when three more came - The leader of the three newcomers was a tall, lean man with dark hair and glasses. He was flanked on both sides by two hulking men."Despite being an enemy, I stand in awe of your ability."

Lubbock was alarmed by their sudden appearance. "They've got backup!"

Akame, _"He's strong..."_

"You may call me 'Toby.'" Out of Toby's arms, sprouted axe blades, as he launched himself at Akame, also sprouting blades on the bottoms of his feet.

 _"That feeling; this one's different from the rest. Has his whole body been turned into a machine?"_

Lubbock, "Akame!" then, the two larger men stood in front of him. _"Shit...I wanna help her but...These guys...are in the way...!"_

* * *

 **Outside:**

I smashed out of the wall using **Incursio** , and started using _Neuntote_ to shred the soldiers. "Doctor Stylish's personal army."

A new, gruff voice exclaimed. I turned my head, and I was face to face with the newcomer. I spotted a massive man standing amongst the corpses of Stylish's troops. "Hey there, armored brother. Seems like I'll be your opponent for today."

I noticed that he had **Extase** on his back. "You have **Extase**?!"

"Huhu...Like it? My **Imperial Arms** and I are still getting to know each other, you see."

"They don't belong to you..." I muttered, as I tightly balled my fists, my anger reaching the boiling point.

"What'd you say little boy?" the man asked, raising a hand to his ear. "I didn't quite hear you."

"I said...Those NEVER belonged to you...!"

Fight

I threw three punches, and an uppercut, and then juggled the man with three high kicks. He tried to punch me, but I ducked, and countered with a low kick, chained with a rising scissors kick. I tackled the man, and shot him five times in the face with both my pistol and revolver. He slashed me with **Extase**. I then summoned _Neuntote_ , and slashed him six times(three of them were juggles). I took him down with a roundhouse kick.

Tatsumi Wins

"They belong to Sheele...So keep your filthy hands off of them."

* * *

Mimi, "Sounds like we have the upper hand against **Murasame** , but not **Incursio**."

Dr. Stylish, "Exactly how I planned the first one, though the polar opposite of the second."

"But still, we've already lost quite a few soldiers. There's too much noise in the area for me to determine the exact number, but the death count is extremely high."

"Oh dear, what a tragedy." Really, he could care less. " _Just kidding! Those silly pawns are wonderfully dispensable. They're just criminals, anyway. Poor adults are always happy to cut with me, if they think it'll shorten their sentence; little do they know, they're nothing but fancy fodder waiting to die!"_

* * *

I went to recover **Extase** , only for the man to try to hold onto them in a sort of tug-of-war. "Who the hell is Sheele?! If you really want to die that badly" He was taunting me, "I'll chop you up as much as you like!"

Then, "What, are you having a hard time out here?" It was Mine. "You're as undisciplined as ever!"

"Mine!"

She was shocked when she saw he was holding **Extase**. "Shoot. So the small fry couldn't keep them busy inside, eh? Didn't they all converge in there?"

"I'll take care of this one. Seeing **Extase** in the hands of the enemy" Mine wasn't pleased by the slightest, " just makes me sick!"

"'Take care of,' you say?! Hey, think about your situation and try saying that again, sweetie! Your hideout has been discovered. Enemies are inside it as we speak. And you yourself are about to be attacked!"

"Attack this!" I punched him in the nuts, like either Mr. Cage or Cassie would do.

"Aaaaaarrrrrgggggghhhhhhh-ho-hooooo!" In tremendous pain, he unwittingly tossed **Extase** ; which stabbed into the ground. With my other fist, I launched him into the air with an uppercut. Mine pointed **Pumpkin** at him, and fired away; completely obliterating the man. Then, Ieysayu and Sheele came rushing out.

Ieysyu, "Whoa! What's going on?!"

"You're a little late, guys." I pulled out **Extase** —"Welcome back, Sheele."—and handed it to Sheele.

* * *

Mimi, "Kaku is dead...There are very few infantry still living."

Stylish, "Oh poo...I guess I was mistaken...*sigh* I suppose there's no other choice, huh. We'll have to retr-"

He was interrupted by the big-eared girl, "In the sky...! Something is coming!"

"Huh? What do you mean, someth-" He was interrupted again by a flying danger beast. "That must be danger beast, air manta!"

"Someone is riding it." Me spotted who it was. "Ah...It's her! Ex-general Najenda! And others...! I see two other figures riding with her!"

"Ooh! Delightfully dramatic; valiantly riding on a danger beast she tamed herself! Now, don't get yourself all warmed up!"

Najenda brought reinforcements with her. "Headquarters was proud of their fortune-telling arms; predicted trouble near the hideout, and it came to pass. Glad I flew back as soon as I found out." She turned to the two hooded figures with her, "This is your shot, recruits; time to show me what you're made of!"

Stylish, "Well, isn't this a fun surprise! It actually works out great, for me! Every one of you is going to become a test subject for my experiment! It's time to unveil my trump card!"

* * *

 **Inside:**

Akame was waiting for a good opportunity to strike Toby. When she saw an opening, she sliced off his left arm. "If I can't finish you in a single hit, then I'll have to chop you into pieces, and it's gonna hurt. You better get ready."

However, Toby didn't seem to feel anything; he only scoffed, "That's where you're mistaken; given my condition, I can't feel pain anymore." He charged at her, and swung a blade that shot out from where his left arm once was. With their blades locked, Toby opened his mouth, revealing a gun barrel, and shooting at Akame. Luckily, she dodged it, and then sliced off his right arm; Only for another gun to pop out of the socket. She then sliced off his right leg, at the knee, but Toby kept balance, and pointed the gun at her again. In the nick of time, Sayo shot an arrow through Toby's chest, impaling his heart. This time, it actually hurt. "Damn you. This wasn't even your fight."

Sayo, "My home and all of my friends are in danger; do you really expect me to just sit back and watch?!"

Toby realized something, "Well...as it was going, I would've lost that battle, anyway; even if she hadn't interfered. Akame, please tell me; Why was it impossible for me to win against you?"

"Your fighting style was extremely aggressive...but you left me too many openings...obviously."

Ultimately, Toby accepted his death. "Ehehehe. I should have focused more on defense, right. A sense of pain is quite the useful luxury, after all."

Akame swiftly decapitated him.

* * *

Ieysayu spotted the air manta just then. "What is that, more enemies?!"

Mine, "Hang on, I'll check." She took out a pink scope-lens that was stored in **Pumpkin**. "Whaddya know, it's the boss!"

"Sweet! Perfect timing! Wait, that's not fair!"

Sheele, "What's not fair?"

"How come they get to ride on a giant flying fish?! I wanna ride a giant fish!"

Mine, "Uh...I'm not sure how to respond to that."

Me, "I am...Do you realize how idiotic you sound, Ieysayu?!"

I heard rustling; it was Trooma, about to attack Mine. _"Hehuhuhuhu! Oh, the adorable lady!"_ He leapt out with a knife drawn. _"You seem to have left yourself wiiide open!"_

I noticed him, and simply counted down, _"In three, two, one..."_

Leone in beast form kicked Trooma in the face. "You've really caught me off guard, didn't you?!" She was definitely pissed off at him. Trooma tumbled six feet, and Leone approached, cracking her knuckles. "I was passed out and hungover, and you throw a knife at me?! That's grounds for serious ass-kicking, my friend!"

Mine and Ieysayu, "Uuuulllllhhhh?"

Me, _"Right on queue."_

Leone ferociously grabbed Trooma by the neck with both hands, and began strangling him.

"Put me down!"

Leone, "Word of advice; I'm a huge fan of surprise attacks—but if there's one thing I hate about them, it's when they happen to me! Your body looks like it's been enhanced, but I wouldn't expect that to make your death come any easier!" Trooma sprouted a blade from his toe, and thrusted it at Leone's face, but she caught it with her teeth.

"Well, she's just filled with surprises, isn't she?!"

Leone slammed the enhanced man into the ground, killing him, before retracting back from pain. "He did manage to get in a good one, and man does it hurt! Whoops! Aw crap, I think I killed him!"

Me, "Don't worry about that right now, Sis."

Lubbock, Akame, and Sayo came running out of the base. Akame, "Is everybody okay?!"

"Yeah."

Mine, "Good, I think we're all her!"

More masked soldiers ran out of the surrounding woods. Ieysayu raised **Belvaak**. "It's not over yet!"

Sayo prepared spreader arrows. "Looks like we've still got some work to do!"

Lubbock checked **Crosstail** for the source. "This doesn't make sense; How'd they get in without setting off my traps?!"

Leone tried using her enhanced senses, "I'm not picking up anyone else's smell, either."

"I know where they are...You guys stay put; I'll go it alone." I was about to head towards the cliff when everyone else—aside from Ieysayu and Sayo—collapsed.

Sayo, "Akame?!"

Ieysayu, "What's wrong with you guys?!"

Mine, "I c-can't move my body!"

 _"Dammit! I forgot about the toxins just now!"_ I immediately turned around to assist them.

* * *

Me, "Seems to be working perfectly on all targets, except for the two masked ones, and the one wearing **Incursio**."

Stylish, "Hehehehe! That's the effect of my trump card; a fast-acting paralysis agent I made all by my stylish self!"

Hana, "Wha?! But won't our allies be poisoned too?!"

Mimi, "Obviously, the good doctor remembered to treat them with the antidote, moron."

I swear, those three freaks are major suck-ups. "Ooh, Master Stylish, you're like a super-genius!"

"It's not like I intended to try out my latest concoction on such promising subjects, you know. See? It's a very valuable creation, I went through great lengths to make it! But I had no other option; they were wiping out my lovely cohort so quickly!"

* * *

Ieysayu, "We're holding up better than the others."

Sayo, "Tatsumi, you said you know where the enemy leader is. Go ahead and take them out!"

Then, a man wielding a giant club came down from the sky, and smashed into the skull of one of the many soldiers; actually, he was the human **Imperial Arms** , **Susanoo**.

Everyone else seemed confused.

Leone, "An ally...Right..."

Najenda was still in the air. "It seems dangerous for me or Chelsea to drop down. For now, I'll give orders from here."

The other hooded figure, Chelsea, responded, "Roooger."

"Now, exterminate the enemies before you! ' **Susanoo** '!"

Even from that distance, he received those orders from Najenda clearly. "Understood." He walked towards the charging soldiers, held out the club—which popped out blades from the seams—and literally shredded every single one, with no effort at all.

* * *

"Wha...! It can't be!" Me was in shock. "A new guy is sweeping through all of our infantry! As long as they're an organism, there's no way the poison doesn't work!"

Stylish, "...I don't know. It may be an unknown **Imperial Arms**." he pulled a detonator out of his pocket. "If that's so, I don't need any material for experiments and," Stylish pulled the trigger. "Like this." All the dead soldiers literally exploded. "Human bombs for special situations. With this, it's finished."

They were shocked already to see **Susanoo** had survived; they were baffled when he regenerated—a staple for Biological-type **Imperial Arms** —"That ally...an organism-type **Imperial Arms**...A HUMAN **IMPERIAL ARMS**!"

* * *

I was fixing Mine's hair, and **Susanoo** noticed that Sayo's—who was knocked back by the explosion—hair was also messed up. "Wha...What."

"Better!"

Sayo was dumbfounded. "What is?"

Me, "It's about time..."

 **Susanoo** looked at me. "You were expecting me?"

"I also know where the toxins are coming from..." I pointed to where Stylish was, "Over there, the Southwest!"

Najenda, " **Susanoo**! He's right on the money! Squash them, no survivors!"

"Understood!"

"Come on! You as well, guys!" I said to Sayo, Ieysayu, and **Susanoo** , as I hucked Akame onto my back, and then called out to Najenda. "Boss! Get the others up there! We'll take care of Stylish! Just make sure he doesn't escape!"

"Alright, Tatsumi!"

* * *

Those four enemies were panicking.

Mimi, "We've been spotted!"

Stylish and the other two "men" started running off. "There's no choice! We're retreating, no need to try the impossible here! Poison won't work against an organism-type! I need to either destroy the core, or do something about the user..." They were swept off their feet by the strong winds created by the air manta soaring above them. "It seems she won't let us run, no matter what..."

Ieysayu, "Hold it right there!"

 **Susanoo** and Sayo just stood there, at the ready.

Me(Eye), "Don't worry, Master Stylish!"

Hana, "If it were chess, we could be the bishop and rook! We will definitely protect you."

Fight

Ieysayu punched Hana twice, and chained with an uppercut. Hana literally sneezed on Ieysayu, however the latter used **Belvaak** to throw it right back at him. He did three kicks—low kick, high kick, and spin kick—and created a spark in the ground, by slamming down one of **Belvaak** 's two blades. Ieysayu separated **Belvaak** for the first time, and used the blades as projectiles, causing massive damage to Hana. He defeated Hana with a swift uppercut.

Ieysayu wins-Flawless Victory

"How 'bout that, nosey boy?!"

Sayo, "Well, Bug-eyes, you think we should do it?!"

Me(Eye), "Watch it, missy...Don't think I'll go easy on because you're a girl."

Fight

Sayo shot an arrow at Me(Eye), then charged at him, and twirled her bow around to hit him with short-range blades she attached to the sides five times. Me threw two eyeball-like grenades at her, but she shot them back at them with an explosive arrow, doing alot of damage. Sayo did two cartwheel kicks, before throwing three punches, and juggled with an uppercut. Me tried to do a crouching punch, only for Sayo to grab him, pin him to the ground, and slash him in the chest ten times with her bow blades. She finished the fight by slamming him in the back of the head with the top of her bow.

Sayo Wins-Flawless Victory

"How's it feel to be beaten up by a girl, tough guy?!"

Stylish, _"They're wearing filtered masks?! Bad...This is unfair!"_ In a last resort effort, the mad scientist pulled out a syringe full of danger beast DNA, "When it comes to this...prepare yourself for the worst!" He injected the DNA into himself. "Trump Card number two, Danger Beast, one dose! This is all I've got!" Right before our eyes, Stylish started to mutate into a monstrosity beyond comprehension. "Here it issssss! This is the ultimate in stylishness! By becoming a danger beast myself! I'll blow all of you away!"

Hana, "Ohh, beautiful...!"

Me(eye), "As expected of Master Stylish...!"

Both of them were grabbed by Stylish. "You are my precious nutrients! Let us become oneee!" He devoured them, before doing the same to Mimi, causing him to mutate even more. "Wonderful! A hearty meal of nutritious meat, and I level up!"

I just arrived when I saw. "Dammit!"

Ieysayu, "Wha...What is that?!"

Sayo, "That's disgusting."

Me, "He turned himself into a monster! We have to put him down, quickly..." I then told Akame, "Hold on tight!" next, I jumped to the side.

"What's this, a piggyback ride? You two look pretty unsteady on your feet." The danger beast Stylish slammed his enormous left hand down. "Let me squish you!" Then, the air manta came, with Mine on board, who shot Stylish in the head with **Pumpkin**. "...you." toppling him.

I jumped onto his "Belly". "End of the line, Dr. Stylish!"

Susanoo thrusted his staff into the arm.

"Not yet!" Stylish threw long, syringe-like tentacles at us.

"Akame! Go for it!" I threw her right at Dr. Stylish himself; at the very top.

Akame unsheathed **Murasame** —"Eliminate!"—and slashed him, infecting the entire thing with the poisonous curse.

"...I...I still wanted to do...all kinds of human experiments...wh...why do I have to be...so unfortunate." The colossal monstrosity fell backwards, onto the ground, almost hitting Akame; if Ieysayu didn't grab her.

Me, "Actually, you got lucky; what you did to those people, you deserved a fate far worse than death."

* * *

 _ **Yeah, this was a long chapter. Figured I'd make some of Team Stylish's members the sub-bosses, before having Danger Beast Stylish as the real Boss battle; Though, not in the typical fighting game style, as you may have noticed. Danger Beast Stylish is both a Boss and a Level, like Kronos from "God of War 3".**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Kill the Newcomers:**

We were riding the air manta to an unexplored region.

Me, "WOAAAH!" It was amazing. "This feels great!"

The new member, Chelsea, took notice. "Ahaha! You're so innocent that it's hard to believe you're a killer, Tatsumi. You're an interesting guy."

Leone, "This is more fun than I thought."

I took notice of Mine seemingly scared, so I went to comfort her.

Akame, "It's good!"

Before Mine could say anything against Akame, I put my hand on her shoulder, and smiled at her for reassurance. She had a light blush dusting across her cheeks.

Sheele, "It seems that Tatsumi has taken a liking to Mine."

Sayo, "You just noticed that, Sheele?"

Ieysayu, "What does he even see in that annoying brat?!"

* * *

 **Our stop: Margue Plateau. Eight hundred kilometers Southeast from the capital. It was dotted by tens of cut table mountains, thus creating a unique ecosystem, with high-level danger beasts. It wasn't safe for humans to live there...It was an "unexplored region.":**

Najenda, "It's because it's unexplored, that it's perfect for hiding. Currently, in order to find us a fitting place for a new base, the revolutionary army's reconnaissance team is searching around the capital. Until then, we're going to level up here."

The air manta took off. Mine was confused by that. "H...huh? It left, is that okay? We left the gathered **Imperial Arms** on it."

Me, "It's nest must be in the revolutionary army's headquarters; that's probably where it's headed."

Chelsea, "It also becomes an automatic delivery that way. Wow, Mine, you don't even know that? Ahaha!"

The pinkette was clearly annoyed. _"This chick pisses me off._ God, I hate you already!"

Me, "Don't let her get to you, Mine."

Najenda, "Now, once again, I'll introduce the new members." She pointed to where Chelsea was once standing, only for a surprise. "First up is...huh?"

She was touching Akame's hair. "Akame's really cute when I take a look up close."

Akame, "...What're you doing out of nowhere?"

"I'm Chelsea. Let's all be friends, as fellow killers." She gave Akame a lollipop. "Here, I'll give you this."

"...I welcome you with open arms."

Ieysayu, "Aah! Akame just got fed something artificial...A lollipop?!"

Lubbock(Those guys are two peas in a pod), "She must've been REALLY hungry from the long trip!"

I asked Najenda, "So, how's her résumé, Boss?"

Ieysayu, "She looks even less like an assassin than Mine and the other girls."

"Looks can be deceiving; She's a person of remarkable talent who's gotten as many jobs done as Akame has."

Ieysayu had a deadpanned look on his face.

Me, "If she has that high of a body count, she's definitely gonna fit in just fine then. _I just hope she doesn't get killed again."_

Najenda pointed her hand at **Susanoo** , "As for this fellow; headquarters has entrusted him with me, as well. Everyone, meet _Lightning-Fast_ : **Susanoo** ; he's my new **Imperial Arms**. Organic-types are mostly autonomous, so he shouldn't be all that draining. Even with all my injuries, I can still use him."

I took a quick check to make sure my shirt was tucked in—the first time around he was alarmed by just the slightest corner peaking—and then walked up to shake hands. "Hi, I think we met earlier; I was the one wearing the suit-of-armor."

He took my hand, and shook it. "I know."

Ieysayu, "Sweet! A human **Imperial Arms**!"

He spotted that Ieysayu's shirt was poking out. "Hah!" He quickly tucked it in, much to Ieysayu's surprise. "Fixed."

Najenda, "I should warn you; he's a bit of a 'Neat Freak.'"

Sayo, "Yeah, no kidding. Well, now we know what he fixed my hair for."

Leone, "Okay, so what exactly is his primary ability? Does he only do hand-to-hand combat?"

Najenda scoffed, "Allow me to demonstrate that for you. Try to contain your excitement." She then gave **Susanoo** a command, " **Susanoo**! Proceed!"

"Understood." He chopped down trees, built the temporary base, washed clothes, and even prepared food; all in just two minutes.

Ieysayu and Lubbock were dumbfounded, "Okay, I admit; that does look impressive, but what is he doing?"

Ieysayu, "From where I'm standing, it looks like chores."

Najenda, "Wondeful, isn't he? **Susanoo** 's original purpose was to protect royalty and others of status. Not only can he fight; he's equipped with a full range of cleaning and cooking skills, so he never has to leave his owner's side. He can do it all! And the best part is his menu includes a thousand different dishes."

Mine, "How is any of that gonna help us in a fight?!"

Me, "Well, he also has a **Trump Card** that grants him a massive power increase."

 **Susanoo** , "Yeah."

I knew that they were going to be reliable.

Chelsea was teasing Mine, "Oh my goodness, you're as flat as a board!"

Mine, "SHUT UP!"

Lubbock was trying to smack-talk Susanoo, "Y'know, you may be all big, and handsome, and strong, and everything, but you're still just a glorified man-made!"

I still questioned the teamwork. "If we're all gonna pull this off, we need to put our differences aside."

* * *

 **Palace:**

Esdeath was bored when Ran and Bols walked in through the door.

Ran, "We finished searching the Doctor's residence. However, we were unable to find any evidence to what caused his sudden disappearance."

Bols, "We did notice none of his valuable research materials or equipment went missing from the laboratory, though."

Esdeath, "If he hasn't deserted us..." She stood up out of her chair, "that means he must've been killed."

"And none of his enhanced soldiers were anywhere to be found, either. I can only assume, they were all killed as well."

"I understand. Poor Seryu's lost another person she looked up to."

* * *

 **Back at the temporary hideout; Later, at night:**

We were gathered around the fireplace.

Najenda, "It looks like the empire's gradually beginning to build up its forces."

Akame, "And there's no way we can win as we are now. We hafta make ourselves stronger.

"Revolution day is almost here; let's use what little time we have left for training. I also wouldn't count on getting any more new fighters, if I were you. Please consider this the last time we receive reinforcements."

I stepped in, "If we work as a team, we can all survive to see the coming of the new world. It's about time you learned about this thing, called 'Mortal Kombat.'"

Sayo, "Are you serious, Tatsumi?!"

Ieysayu, "That's just hardcore!"

Chelsea, "What exactly is 'Mortal Kombat'?"

Sayo, "It's a tournament held every fifty years to determine the rights to invade another dimension. A fighting tournament to be exact."

Ieysayu, "A total of ten wins over a course of five-hundred years is required, before you're actually ALLOWED to invade. And the competition is RIDICULOUS! You're fighting against demons, sorcerers, even real-life gods!" He then started drinking his tea.

Akame, "Now that you mention it; Tatsumi did say he defeated a god named 'Shinnok.'"

Hearing that, Ieysayu did a spit-take, "WHAT?!"

Sayo, "Shinnok is the father of all evil, the master of Hell itself; He's not someone who can be defeated by just anyone!"

Chelsea blushed heavily, "Damn! You're even more impressive than I originally thought, Tatsumi."

I explained it to them, "It was because I managed to conjure up a 'green halo' passed down the generations by a Mediterranean war cult; specially bred as fighters, capable of fighting gods. I actually managed to do it twice; I don't know if I can do it again. It seems to only activate when the user sees a loved one about to get killed, and he or she jumps in to take the blow, which the halo simply absorbs."

Sheele, "That explains how he was able to break the speed of light. Now that I remember; you DID have a green aura surrounding you at the time."

"That part was a one-time thing, since I needed to be fast."

Najenda, "Still, it seems that you might be the one to teach about it."

* * *

 **Morning; A Month Later:**

Akame and **Susanoo** were fishing for dinner at a nearby river; Akame thought it would grant her the power to use thunder by wearing a hat similar to the one Raiden wears, but I told her 'That's not how it works.' Still, she wore it at the time to keep the sun out of her eyes—at the same time, she was eating a rice ball. Then, something was tugging the line. "GOT ONE!"

 **Susanoo** took a single grain of rice Akame had on her face off, while she reeled in a big one. "Much better." He then used is staff to clobber the fish.

"It's gonna be a huge feast, tonight! I can't wait!"

Later,

We finished eating; Ieysayu was working on a more creative technique on using **Belvaak**.

Leone, "Whew! Ah man, that was delicious, it hit the spot, **Su**! I think I can take on the world!"

Akame, "Thank you for all your help."

Me, holding a practice sword, "Hey **Su** , so ya' think we can train together, tomorrow?"

Najenda chuckled, "I knew you'd come around, once you saw how handy he can be."

Ieysayu, "It is pretty cool that the guys back at headquarters would let you borrow such an awesome weapon!"

"They said **Susanoo** had been in hibernation for some time. He felt my presence, and activated immediately."

Akame, "That's really cool!"

"Oh, it's easy to see why; my feminine charm, of course."

 **Su** , "Actually, the general is like a spitting image of my previous master."

Leone, "That makes sense."

Najenda, "If she was anything like me, then she must've been a wonderful person."

 **Su** , "Yeah; Not only a great leader, but he was also the greatest man in the world."

Najenda, "A man?!"

Leone and Ieysayu were laughing their asses off. "See Boss; you totally look like a dude!"

Ieysayu tried holding it in, but was failing, "Cut it out; if you make her mad, she's gonna freak out and kill us!"

I didn't think it was funny anymore—it was the second time I heard it—"Did you hafta say it like THAT, **Su**?"

The creaking of Najenda's fingers caused Leone and Ieysayu's laughter to turn into fear. "Oh, uh...yeah, sorry..."

Ieysayu, "Uh-oh!"

She hit them both on the head, leaving huge, red bumps.

I walked to where Lubbock and Mine were sitting; Mine was eating a piece of cake.

Lubbock, "Geez, I don't get why everybody's so quick to cozy up to that guy; I thought I was the Mr. Suave-Awesome around her."

Mine, "Don't worry, Lub; I'm pretty sure no one considered you suave in the first place."

The door opened, and in came what looked like a little kitten. "Mrow!"

"Oh wow, is that a baby panther cub?!"

"Mrooow!" The cub jumped onto the arm of the couch, much to Mine's surprise.

"Huh?"

Lubbock, "Surprisingly comfortable around humans, aren't they?"

"Mroow!" The kitten began rubbing on Mine.

"Hey, now! I'm not gonna share my food with you or anything, so..."

Me, "That's not really a panther cub; It's Chelsea."

The kitten leaped, and stole Mine's cake. "Mow." Chelsea then revealed herself, and giggled, "You almost got me, Tatsumi! Meow!"

Mine, "What?! It's you!"

"Told ya'."

Chelsea giggled, "Oh Mine; you just make it so easy, I can't help myself!"

"Chelsea, please stop teasing her, and focus more of your free time on homing skills with your **Imperial Arms**."

Lubbock, "That was your **Imperial Arms**?!"

"It sure was! I can instantly transform into anything I want! Pretty cool, right? **Gaea Foundation** ; it's perfect for stealth operations. Which, I must say Mine, if you're not more careful, you'll be the next member to get killed on the battlefield."

That ticked me off, "I won't let that happen!" I regained my calm by taking a deep breath. "Listen, Chelsea, I don't want anyone else to die unnecessarilly. So we need to shape up, and dig deep!"

* * *

 **Next Day:**

Leone and I just finished clearing away danger beasts.

Najenda, "Well done; you've proven you can easily kill the danger beasts in this area."

"I noticed some of the different types like to attack us out of nowhere, so we constantly have to be on our toes."

Leone took the matter lighter, "I like it; that makes it so much more interesting!"

Najenda, "The air is pretty thin up here; you've been training in such a harsh environment, I'm sure all of you have leveled up quite a bit."

Mine, "You're right, I can already feel a huge difference!"

I whispered to myself, "*sigh*But I still haven't reached my full potential."

Najenda turned to Chelsea, "Chelsea."

"Hm?"

"Tell me, what do you think of Night Raid, now that you've been with us for a month?"

"Hmn...You're all strong...in fact, I would say you're even stronger than anyone from my old team."

Everyone else was practically cheering. I, on the other hand, still had doubts.

"That said; just because you're strong, doesn't mean you'll survive. I took the liberty if looking through all your old reports; Bulat was killed in a recent battle. The issue at hand isn't whether or not he was a good person; it's that he was obviously incompetent."

Mine, "What?!"

"All I'm trying to say is if you don't get it together, then you're not going to last long enough to see this fight through to the end." Chelsea walked back inside.

"I swear, that girl pisses me off so much!"

Me, "Well, everyone here has a story."

Najenda, "That's Chelsea for you; she's as honest as they come."

 **Su** , "We should eat something; let's go ahead and get a head start on cooking everything you hunted."

Akame, "Can't work on an empty stomach!"

Sayo, "There's something really wrong with you guys!"

Inside, Chelsea was thinking to herself, _"Did Tatsumi really have that much doubt in himself?"_

* * *

 **Later; Nightfall:**

Mine, Lubbock, Ieysayu, and I were sitting around a campfire. "So, what did you wanna talk about, Mine?"

Mine, "You know it had to make you mad; I can't believe what she said about Bulat!"

Ieysayu, "Yeah, I understand; I don't like it when people disrespect him."

"We need to do something to her that'll really screw her up—something that'll scare the crap outta her, or at least make her look stupid!" Mine stood up, "Here it is! You get her off guard, really shake her up, and I'll deal the final blow! It's total genius!"

"Why do I feel like nothing good could possibly come from teaming up with you?"

"Whaddya mean? Don't you dare tell me that you're gonna take her side on this one! You know she deserves it!"

Me, "Okay, okay!"

Ieysayu, "Fine, whatever you want! But, wait, you never explained how you wanted us to surprise Chelsea."

Mine, "Well, you three will have to figure something out, won't you? I've got my own brilliant revenge to prepare..." She walked back inside, "So get busy; this mission should be completed tonight! And I better hear her scream too!"

Lubbock, "I don't think I like her tone!"

Me, "Urrgh! Something that'll make Chelsea scream. _I think I'd better have a talk with her, instead."_

Ieysayu, "I got nothin' over here!"

Lubbock, "If only we could use our **Imperial Arms** to startle people." Then, both he and Ieysayu had the same idea. When they confirmed it, Ieysayu nodded at Lubbock, allowing him to say it. "Ah! I think I just had an idea! And it was a good idea!"

Me, "*sigh*Of course you do."

Really,

Ieysayu, "I can't wait to see her body."

Lubbock, "Me neither. If he can get out of there unharmed, then we can stare at those tits without having to get our own asses handed to us."

Like I said before; They're two peas in a pod.

* * *

 **Hot Spring:**

Chelsea was having a bath when I was wearing **Incursio**.

Me, "Psst, Chelsea."

"Hm? Who's there?"

"It's me, Tatsumi. Please put a towel on first."

She did just that. "Why are you here?" She giggled and teased. "Did you come to peep on me?"

"Nope; that would be Ieysayu and Lubbock. Mine wanted me to pull a prank on you as payback for what you said about Bulat...but I thought it'd be far more helpful if I did it diplomatically."

"Really?!"

"I know you knew you were gonna find me, first off."

"Yeah, you seriously need to work on your quelling that aura of yours, Tatsumi! Deception is my specialty, you know. To detect something like that, you'd need much more training! I'm sorry, does it get on your nerves when people tell you things like that?!"

"Not really."

"Hm?"

"I understand what you're saying, Chelsea; There's still so many things I need to improve. I'm not mad at you for what you said, I'm mad at myself because I couldn't save Bulat. I promise, I'll take your advice to heart."

She blushed again, "So, you're pretty mature, aren't you?"

"I wasn't always like that. I literally died once. I'm actually Half-Edenian, who are said to be descended from gods and are naturally long-lived; making me almost impossible to permanently kill. Keyword being 'Almost'...So, tell me, what's your story?"

"The truth is...not too long ago, I came back from a mission, only to discover that everyone on my team had been murdered while I was gone. I would be devastated if something like that were to happen to the people here."

"So, the reason you said all that stuff...was because you were concerned about us. I understand completely. You don't need to hide the fact that you're a good person Chelsea; everyone here has a reason to fight—a purpose. I knew the way you were was just that, when we first met."

She blushed again, even deeper than before, "By the way, I noticed that you whispered something to yourself, earlier today. What was it?"

"I still need to reach my fullest potential. Right now, I'm not as strong as can be." I got up and left.

* * *

 **Streets of the Capital; next day:**

Esdeath and Ran were walking down the street, and the former couldn't get over me.

Ran, "Commander?"

She stopped and turned to him.

"Is there anything troubling you?"

"Whenever there's a large crowd, I find myself searching for Tatsumi."

"Actually, if I may, I've compiled a list of eligible bachelors, who all bear some resemblance to that boy. If it pleases you, I could set up some meetings."

"There's no need to trouble yourself, Ran; There can only be one Tatsumi, after all. No one else will ever come close."

"My humblest apologies." Esdeath walked ahead, _"Argh! This complicates things; I knew she was sadistic and everything she's tasked with the minister's dirty work, but she's even more powerful and depraved than I imagined. It should prove rather entertaining to observe her up close for a little while."_

She stopped again, _"Why do I feel so anxious? Am I sensing that I'm about to see Tatsumi again? Or is it because...because the final battle against Night Raid is drawing near? But perhaps...it's something else, all together."_

* * *

 **A mine in the vicinity of the capital:**

Miners were digging for resources, when human-like danger beasts—a result of Dr. Stylish's many experiments—attacked, killed, and ate them. Their master was a hooded man, with a sinister grin. _"Hehehehaha! Well now...It looks like I've found some interesting toys here!"_ He had—in his hand—any extremely powerful Support-Type **Imperial Arms**. _"It's been a long time, capital. I'm going to have fun..."_


	17. Chapter 17: Tatsumi 8

**Kill the Nuisances: Tatsumi 8(Part 1)**

"Thanks to the Jaegers," the child emperor started, "The number of bandits near the Imperial Capital has drastically decreased—and Night Raid has kept a low profile as of late; They must be quite afraid of you. We are pleased with your work."

Esdeath, "Yes. Once I discover the location of their new base, they will be punished."

"We have the utmost faith in you, but sadly we haven't found a suitor who meets your criteria yet. Though I should mention the minister here does have an unmarried son! I hear he has potential."

"Your highness; as I stated in my report, the position has been filled. You didn't concern yourself further."

"But didn't you tell us that he had vanished without a trace? How can you have a relationship like that?"

"The pursuit has made me want him even more. It seems this love is unfamiliar to me."

"Huh! That's deep."

Honest, "Not as much as you think, Your Grace."

* * *

 **Dining Room:**

The Prime minister and Esdeath were having a conversation. "You seem to have rubbed off on the emperor; he's been very interested in romance of late. I think he's well on his way to a life of corruption and debauchery. Hahahaha! My plan is to make sure the emperor enjoys the sweetest life possible."

Esdeath, "Just don't allow him to fall into any bad habits."

"Right. Anyway, I have a favor to ask of you."

"I'm listening."

"A new species of danger beast has appeared around the capital; I would like you to get rid of them."

"Yes, I know; I've already started investigating that for myself. Until recently, creatures like these only lived in forests and in the mines, but just days ago a few forced their way into a couple's home, and devoured the husband alive. The woman survived because something scared them off."

"I heard that—they're also said to better resemblance to human beings; we could have a lot fun with these new toys, yes. Great General Budou has ordered that they all be destroyed, but I would love to examine them."

"As you wish." She got up out of her seat, "After hearing how deadly they are, I don't think I can resist hunting them. I suppose I could catch two or three for you. Please forward the reward money to the soldiers I have stationed up North."

"You truly are a benevolent leader, aren't you, general?"

"Hm. A soldier is more likely to fight to the death for a commander he respects; and when you consider that idea, it's easy to see why my forces are considered the strongest in the nation."

"That's comforting. Please pick out a few feisty ones for me."

* * *

 **Dusk:**

The two merchants I saved from the earth dragon were trying to avoid running into the new danger beasts. "Hurry up! We need to reach the capital before dark!"

"I know, I know, I'm trying! We gotta get out of this area as soon as we possibly can!"

The horse stopped and panicked when it saw three of the new danger beasts leaping out of the forest. "What's that?!"

"Oh my god!"

Before they could reach the two, Bols bounced off the wagon, and punched one of the creatures in the face, knocking it back. "Just in time." The other two tried attacking, but Bols activated **Rubicanté** —"Now then; I'd better clean up!"—and incinerated all three of them in under a minute. Another three danger beasts saw and retreated out of fear. "Gentlemen, is everybody alright?" The two merchants were scared by Bols looking at them—though, they didn't know that underneath that big brutish exterior, he was a real softie—"Uh, I went ahead and took out the danger beasts for ya, so there's no need to be afraid."

The merchants screamed, until Seryu put a hand on one their shoulders. I'm not gonna go into what they said, so we'll just go to Wave and Bols. "So uh, that was kinda awkward, huh? You did a good thing, okay."

Bols was dark, "Those...people..." Then he resumed his true, lighthearted self, "They can feel safe now! Which is wonderful!"

Elsewhere, the remaining three danger beasts were running from the Jaegers, only to be frozen solid by Esdeath. "There we go; freezing these creatures was the most effective way of capturing them." She knocked on one of them, "It's true; I've never seen this kind of danger beast before." Kurome's mouth started watering to the point that she drooled. Esdeath snapped her out of it though. "It's not a snack."

* * *

 **The Next Day:**

Bols walked in with tea he had made for Wave and Kurome, who were playing chess. "Wave, Kurome; the tea is ready!"

Kurome, "Oh thanks, Bols."

Wave, "Auh, thank you for always waiting on us."

Bols got bashful, "Oh, no, don't mention it! I like being helpful!" Wave looked concerned. "What's the matter, Wave?"

"It...still just kinda bothers me. I mean, you are a really nice person; but even when you killed the danger beasts and saved those guys' lives, they still judged you based on how you look!"

Kurome, "Yeah, but you did the same thing."

"Crap, I did!"

Bols was down, "Wave, I told you before; I'm not a nice person. I've been through infected and diseased villages, and I burned them to the ground. I was an executioner; I burned innocent men and women to ashes. I've done so many horrible things. I've lost count of the names of those who want me dead." He clearly hated what he did in the past.

"But all you did was follow the orders you were given, right?!"

"What I do may just be a job, but karma is still karma; I figure I'm getting what I deserve: reminders, retribution..."

"But Bols, you shouldn't torture yourself like that! Listen, if you ever need a shoulder to cry on, I'm right here, okay?!"

Suddenly, Bols' wife and daughter(He's a really lucky guy to have someone as pretty as her—but also having such an adorable daughter; That's perfection!)"Honey!"

"Daddy!"

That left Wave dumbfounded.

Bols, "My girls, what are lovely ladies doing here?"

"You big Ol' goofball; you left your lunch sitting on the kitchen counter this morning!" That woman was extremely cheery.

"Oh my goodness!"

"Mommy, Daddy made a boo boo!" That family's laugh was absolutely heartwarming; seeing Bols had a reason to fight.

"You have such a demanding job, sweetie; if you don't eat lunch, you might get too lightheaded!"

"Yes dear, I'll be more careful next time."

"Daddy, hold me!"

"Oh alright, come here big girl." Bols then turned back to Wave, "Look, I appreciate your concern, Wave, but my wife and my daughter know all about the things I do, and, well, they still love me no matter what. It's because of them that...you know...that nothing out there is too much for me."

"God, I can't stand it; turn down the love! Oh man, I think this is twice in a row that I failed at comforting someone!" Kurome patted his left shoulder with her right hand, while slurping on one of her cookies.

* * *

 **Waterfall; ten minutes from temporary base:**

 **Su** and I were trainning by smashing falling boulders brought by the fall. I was wearing **Incursio** for it.

The first Boulder came, and I punched it in a random place; it still broke apart. "Hyaaaagaaahhh!" I was still disappointed, "Dammit! I can never hit the weak point."

The second Boulder came, and **Su** smashed it by hitting a certain spot with his staff. "No matter how resilient your opponent may seem, there's always a weak spot somewhere. You just need to find the difference."

"Yeah, I will. Do you think I'll be able to pull it off in the middle of a fight, because as of late, I had to rely on cheap shots in order to disarm opponents; and it only works on males."

"It always seems to present itself, eventually."

"You must be pretty observant then, huh **Su** ; All I've had to rely on was pure dumb luck."

"Something like that; I was originally created to look after my master. I have been training to observe every little detail around me."

"That makes sense. Well, it's great to have you around; you know, since you came along, I've been a lot more confident that all eleven of us are gonna live to see the end of this whole thing."

"I'm an **Imperial Arms** ; there's no need for you to include me in such things."

"It's a choice I can make." I held my fist forward, "Besides, you're a weapon and a companion!"

"Companion? Why?" **Su** kneeled down, "I'm not really sure I understand; that word refers to people who fight alongside one another."

"Yeah, that too. But it's a lot more than that; companions are friends who will always have your back...and I know that. We help each other out. For example, you're a relatively handsome guy; when all this fighting's over, you and I can help Ieysayu and Lub pick up chicks! How's that sound?"

"Hm. Not sure if I know how..." We fist-bumped, "But if that really is what you want from me, I'll do everything in my power to help you achieve it."

 _"Thank you, **Su**."_

"Hey **Su** , Tatsumi..." Akame showed up, "The boss just called in an emergency meeting; we need to get back to base."

* * *

 **A point Fifteen Kilometers Northeast of the capital:**

We flew to our new hideout.

Ieysayu, "You know, it doesn't really look like a 'new' hideout."

I said what Akame would've said, "When you keep escape options and ease of discovery in mind, it naturally ends up similar to the old one."

The girls were cheering.

Mine, "It's nice that we have a hot spring again."

Leone, "After we're done, let's have some drinks there."

Chelsea and Sayo in unison, "Sounds good!"

Lubbock ran back from establishing a perimeter. "Ms. Najenda, I've finished laying down a barrier around the base."

Najenda, "Good."

 **Su** also came back from what he was doing. "I've also finished digging a hole for emergency escape."

"Oh, that was fast. As expected of you, **Susanoo**. With this, our base is fully operational." she said to him, much to Lub's dismay.

Lubbock, "Don't think you've won with this!"

 **Su** , "What are you talking about?"

Me, "Lub, quit bothering **Su**!"

* * *

 **Meeting room:**

Najenda gave us a rundown. "Now that we've returned without delay, the targets this time are the aforementioned new species of danger beast. There have been many cases of them mobilizing in groups, and despite it being rudimentary, they display signs of intelligence. Individually they have strong physical ability, and even martial arts masters have challenged them to test their abilities and lost. Even now they lurk in mines and woods to the South of the capital. They greedily feed upon people and livestock. The Jaegers and Imperial Army exterminate them daily, but it seems they're numerous and are still many left."

Mine held her hand on her chin, "If the empire's having difficulty with them, then it doesn't seem to be a trap."

Najenda tapped her cigarette into her ash tray. "You might call it helping the empire, but...that's fine, right?"

I said what Akame would've again. "Of course. It's just circumstantial this time. Besides, as far as we've heard, they need to be promptly exterminated."

Leone, "I wouldn't wanna run into any soldiers, though."

Najenda, "We are Night Raid. We can just move at night when the empire is resting."

"Ah, right."

Sheele, "That's the kind of group we are."

Chelsea on the other hand..."Hmmm, we're going to go beast hunting, accepting such a risk...It's fine if we leave it to the Jaegers. Like I said, you're all soft..."

I remembered to zip up my pants—because of last go round—before I spoke to Chelsea. "I don't like seeing innocent people in pain, Chelsea...we understand what you want to say." She perked up, "...but even now, these guys might be attacking someone. We might be killers, but we're also allies of the people. Even if it's just to save one person, we need to speed up the extermination!"

"...Well, I thought you would say that. I get it, I get it."

 **Su** was alarmed by Ieysayu instead. "...Ieysayu...I have something I want to tell you."

I immediately thought to myself, _"Ah crap!"_

Ieysayu, "What is it, **Su**?"

"Your fly is down. It bothers me, so close it."

"...Ah!"

Me, "Dammit, Ieysayu...!" Almost everyone else was laughing.

Leone, "After Tatsumi nailed that speech, how uncool!"

Lubbock, "Hey, hey, how do you feel? How do you feel?"

Mine wasn't laughing, "That's what he gets when you try to be cool, Tatsumi! How did you get stuck with him as a friend?"

Ieysayu was seemingly embarrassed. "Sh...Shut up!"

"First of all, I'm just stating my honest point of view. And second, he has his ups as well as his downs."

Akame seemed to pity him, "I'm sorry Ieysayu...I had noticed, but I thought it was a fashion statement or something."

"I'm not that much of an open and liberal person, alright!?"

She crouched down, "From now on, I'll pay attention and look every now and then."

Ieysayu tried covering it, "No...Don't do that!"

Lubbock, "I got one, 'I want to save the people...with my fly wide open.'"

Ieysayu grabbed and shook him, "Hagh, I'll beat you for that, Lubbock!"

Leone, "Don't worry about it too much, your fly was open for the sake of the people, right?"

I went up to Chelsea and Najenda, "Welcome to an average day at the hideout. I swear, it's like dealing with children!"

Najenda, "This is how we are in Night Raid. It'll be troublesome for you, Chelsea."

Chelsea, "That's fine, but...I'm worried. Like how I read in the records, how Bulat was...I feel like that kindness is someday going to take the lives of you and the others, Tatsumi..."

* * *

 **Garden; beside the imperial palace:**

"...Ran, I have something very important to discuss with you. Based on the minister's research, those danger beasts were once people."

"I knew it. Their physiques did seem unusually human, as I recall."

"Someone was turning them into monsters...only an **Imperial Arms** user could manage something like that."

"There's a distinct possibility that these new danger beasts could have been the doctor's experiments. It's probably not a coincidence they started wreaking havoc right about the same time the doctor disappeared."

"Is there more evidence?"

"When I went to investigate the laboratory, I remember noticing that the place seems surprisingly empty; especially knowing that he was always conducting experiments. I find it rather odd."

"So, that means he must've had another, secret lab somewhere, right?"

"Yes. And whatever he was keeping locked up in there somehow found a way to escape after he was gone. It could also be an unknown third-party stole his **Imperial Arms** to make the monsters, but then again, the attacks seem so random. I guess it's possible the doctor stumbled upon the enemy while he was out looking for Tatsumi. He found their hideout, and tried to capture them and turn them into his test subjects, only to have the tables turned and be killed by them, instead."

"I'm beginning to think that he may have been more insane than I ever thought he was."

"If the Doct really was the one who created those danger beasts, then there should only be a limited number. Eventually, the problem should resolve itself."

"There's more to this than how many we're dealing with. For starters, were those monsters truly capable of escaping on their own, or should we assume that somebody wanted to set them free?"

"Understood. I will continue to evaluate the situation as thoroughly as possible."

"I'm counting on you; we don't know exactly how serious this is yet."

"All that aside, it's unusual to see you stopping to admire the flowers like this."

"Hm? Oh, these? Well, when you rub these particular flowers into an open wound, they cause excruciating pain. I use them in light torture."

"I'll be sure to remember that."

In the outskirts, Seryu was finished killing the new species of danger beast in the area she was in. Already, she was questioning her motives and actions. _"Are these embodiments of evil the products of the very man I praised for saving me? What else did I not know about those I idolized?"_

Nearby, the hooded man was observing. _"That's one of those Jaegers everybody's talking about. Living up to their reputation. Well...but, I'd say the group I've called for is a bit stronger."_ He started walking away, still having that sinister smile on his face. _"Until they arrive, I'll have you all play with my toys for a bit longer."_

* * *

 **Mountainous region near the capital; Night:**

Lubbock and I were walking up a natural pathway up one of the mountains; already, he was complaining. "So I get paired with a guy?"

"Stop whining, Lub."

He turned his head to the back, "There aren't any soldiers camping here, right?"

"*Sigh* We have information saying that they withdraw during the night if there close to the capital, remember? Don't be so paranoid."

"You know, Timidity is something indispensable for us killers to survive. Even Ms. Najenda said that. Remember that, all right?"

"First of all, there's a difference between caution and cowardice. And second, speaking of which, you sure do call her Ms. Najenda instead of Boss, huh."

"We...Well, you see, her and I...we've known each other since the imperial army days." Lubbock started telling his story, "...I was the fourth son of a big merchant in the region. Well, I was never deprived of objects since I was a kid, I could do anything skillfully, and I was bored of the world."

I had a deadpanned look on my face. "I don't see a problem."

"IT'S THE TEAR JERKER FROM HERE SO LISTEN! During that time, Ms. Najenda moved to the region where I lived. It was love at first sight. So then I volunteered as a soldier, using my skillfulness, I climbed to a position where I could serve at her side."

"And when she defected, you were the only one who followed her to Night Raid."

"Because of my love for her...I guess...? When we escaped the empire I wrote us both as dead in the records. I'm gallant, aren't I...but I haven't been rewarded. It's saddening...a real tear jerker, right?"

"You're gonna have to confess to her one day, Lub. ...Okay! Now that that's out of the way...It seems awfully too quiet. Where are the danger beasts?"

"It might be that the mountains have already been hunted dry. I've got strings set too. But there's nothing getting caught."

I immediately equipped **Incursio** , "Lub, I'll check the summit. From here, I'll go it alone.", and I traveled to the summit of a mountain alone.

The summit was the same; quiet...too quiet _. "Hmm. Nothing out of the ordinary here, and no sign of even one danger beast."_ I deactivated **Incursio** , _"This is too easy...Where are they?"_

Then, a disturbingly familiar voice; "Were you expecting someone else, Tatsumi?" It was the revenant, Kung Lao.

"What're you doing here, Lao?"

"I wish to test your stamina."

Fight

Lao threw his razor hat at me, but I used my sword to throw it right back at him, and grabbed a rock to throw at him. He teleported behind me, to chain it with a tornado, only for me to grab and throw him when I recovered. I then chained a standard, high, and spin kick on Lao, and juggled him with three uppercuts. Kung Lao grabbed me and laid me across his knee before delivering a barrage of punches to my face. He then slammed his elbow into my stomach before sending me flying across the arena with his knee. I got up and performed an X-Ray move, ending the fight.

Tatsumi Wins

"I wonder how the others are doing." Lao teleported away, "I hope they're safe..."

Overhead, Esdeath was riding her pet dragon, scouting the area. "I might've called it a 'night patrol', but to think that I would go for a stroll because the moonlight is so pretty...It's something completely out of character for me to do. The way I've become a little odd like this is your fault too, Tatsumi..." She then spotted my silhouette from above, unaware it was me. "Hm?...A silhouette...a danger beast? Hmph...If that's the case, what an unlucky fellow." She jumped off her ride, towards the summit. "I'm in a bad mood from being depressed."

She landed behind me, drawing her rapier. _"Ah, crap!" i_ s what I was thinking.

"I'm your opponent..." she said in a high tone, "I'll try some new torture techniques on..." she stopped as she became shocked to see it was me, "...huh...Ta...tsumi..."

* * *

 _ **For those who couldn't tell when they read, there's a lot of changes in the characters' personalities, and certain scenes. Let me know which changes you like the best.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	18. Chapter 18: Tatsumi 8

**Kill the Strong One: Tatsumi 8(Part 2)**

Esdeath and I stared at each other for a while. _"Seriously...doesn't she know she can just ground the dragon first?!"_ Suddenly, three human-like danger beasts crawled out from beside us. "Oh, now you show yourselves!"

Esdeath sliced and diced them all in very little time. However, one of them was still alive...so she jammed her heel into its forehead. "You are in my way..." Esdeath then turned her attention back to me with a smile and blush, "Is this some sort of dream...I've waiting so long for the moment we could meet again, Tatsumi..."

"Uhhh, Esdeath...are you going to finish that thing off or what?"

* * *

Back at the path, Lubbock was getting something on his tripwires. _"Looks like someone's coming up from the valley; it's pretty fast too! Who is this guy?!"_

The hooded man was running straight up to the summit at an inhuman speed. _"They've practically wiped out all of Stylish's creations."_

Lubbock went to the bushes, _"I should probably hide for now...Tatsumi's not back yet...I'm starting to get a really bad feeling."_

The hooded man leaped onto the summit. _"Imperial capital...it's so good to be back."_

* * *

Back with Esdeath and me, "Heheh! I know your scent anywhere, good to see you, Tatsumi." She had her arms wrapped around my collarbone, while holding me real close to her chest—kinda annoyed me now. "So tell me why you ran away, I've missed you so much."

"Actually, I was in pursuit of some kind of pitch-black figure, which ended in me losing Wave, believe it or not. What are you doing here?!"

"Silly boy, I'm here to capture the danger beasts attacking the capital...which leads me to the question of why you're here."

"I was...slaying them...as well. I'm trying to become as strong as I can get." Her holding me started to cut off my airways. "Uhm, can you please let go?"

"I will not."

"I can't breathe."

She released her grip.

I was gasping for air, "Thank you. I heard that there were danger beasts on this mountain."

"A man after my own heart...well, did you join the revolutionary army yet?"

"No, not yet. But I'm not changing my mind. I guess you could say that's the reason I'm out here, trying to hone my skills."

She lightly squeezed my arms, "Yes, I see that...Judging by the amount of muscle you've built up, I'd wager your abilities have exponentially grown." She put her hand on my head, and rubbed, "You've obviously been working hard, and with so much room to improve."

"I don't know how to respond to that."

"The danger beasts are on almost all gone...They have really been a nuisance," she held me to her chest again, "but honestly, thanks to them, we're together again...Love is a strange thing." She was interrupted by something else, "How can there be so many interruptions on a deserted mountain?!"

"You never know."

"You there, the coward trying to hide...show yourself! If you refuse, you'll get no mercy from me!"

A sinister chuckle came from the darkness, "Well, shit...I thought you wouldn't notice me. Not too shabby! Now I understand why everyone is so bloody terrified of you. Anyway, now that the two of us have finally exchanged pleasantries, it's probably a good time for me to stop playing with my little toys."

"So, you're behind this, Syura..."

What he said next was shocking; I thought he would say that we've never met before. Instead, "I'm surprised you still remember me, Kid. But, I apologize as I don't plan on telling you anything. But, if you're in need of a little excitement, I'm willing to let you play with my toys as well!" He took out his secret weapon. "Behold, my **Imperial Arms** : **Shambhala**!"

A circle of purple light appeared around us, an in the very center a yin-and-yang symbol manifested; all of which were connected by numerous lines and angles. _"This isn't good!"_

Syura teleported us far away from the mountain. "Now then, I wonder what kind of game we should play next. Hehuhuhu."

* * *

 **A deserted Island; Southeast of the imperial capital:**

"Esdeath, slap me in the face, hard; I must..."

She interrupted, "Tatsumi...I didn't know you were into that...we really are perfect for each other, isn't it wonderful?"

"That's not what I meant. I was gonna say 'I must be imagining things now'."

"Understood...as you wish." Instead, she kissed me. "No, our surroundings feel too real; the cool breeze blowing on the waves, the warm sunshine...everything around us is true."

"At least warn me next time you do that!"

"I assume this is somehow caused by the man we saw...how did he manage to teleport us?"

"That medallion he had...is one of the **Imperial Arms**."

"So, you know about **Imperial Arms** already...Rumor has it that the secret art of a lost nation was used to create one that coul manipulate space itself."

 _"And he's the one who has it, of course."_

 _"Of all the **Imperial Arms** , I can only think of a handful with the power to control space. Who was that man?"_ Esdeath placed her hand on the ground, "Let's take a look around!"

"What?" She created a colossal pillar of ice by doing so. "Whooooooooooooaaaaaaaa! Warn me, Esdeath, warn me! It looks like we're on an island; there's nothing but ocean."

"But isn't this a gorgeous view? It's starting to feel kind of like we're on a date, isn't it my darling?"

"Could you please concentrate on one thing at a time?! Besides, I'd rather start wit dinner, first."

"You never know what can happen when dealing with **Imperial Arms**. In my line of work, you have to be able to adapt immediately."

"You never know what can happen when dealing with a god. That's when, not only you, but the entire world is in danger."

"Now, where were we?" She embraced me again, "Right, we're on a date! Wanna cuddle?"

"Hey, cut it out!" The earth started to rumble, "Looks like we woke up the locals."

A colossal danger beast—very similar to what Dr. Stylish turned himself into—rose from the water. "Well, he's a big fella."

It charged right toward us, "He's definitely pissed off!"

"I won't let him ruin our time together!" She made hundreds of icicles appear, positioned to fire at the danger beast. "You are interrupting; you deserve to be impaled! **Weiss Schnabel**!" They did shoot and stick into him, but that only made him even more angry than before. "You're still standing? This is getting interesting."

"Hey, you see that wierd spot on his forehead? It has to be his weak point."

"I was thinking the same thing; we must be soul mates. **Grauhorn**!" She shot an obelisk-like ice structure past his head, completely missing the weak point, "He must be stubborn."

I jumped onto the structure, and ran to it myself, and used my sword to impale the former human in the beast's forehead. "And stay down!" That finished him.

"Well done; though I had originally planned on winning your heart with my own skills, you wound up deepening my love for you, and here I used some of my favorite moves and everything..."

The ground rumbled again. "Esdeath, look out!"

Another one smashed into the ice pillar, breaking it in two; but Esdeath jumped down right before it happened, "Leave it to me, Tatsumi; I'll give him what he deserves!" She manifested an enormous ball of ice—" **Hagel**... **Sprung**!"—and slammed it into the second danger beast's head.

"Dammit, Esdeath; don't do something like that again! Seriously, you're an animal!"

* * *

 **Later:**

Esdeath and I were sitting on logs; I was eating some grains, while Esdeath was doodling me in her book(talk about a crazy-obsessed stalker). "Those two must've been the last of em."

"So that was what he meant by picking up his toys, which means this was where he was hiding that new breed of danger beast!"

"So, what do you wanna do after our break?"

"First, we'll explore the area, so we can develop a better understanding of our situation."

"Well, we still don't know what exactly we're dealing with."

"We'll only make things worse if we panic; it's best to remain calm."

"I know...Well, we should get to work soon."

 _"Hmmm! Not quite right."_

 _"Seriously, I think you're being a stalker right now!"_

The entire day was filled with identifying the plants, crabs pinching my fingers, Esdeath putting the biggest species of flower on my head, gathering fruits, hunting, and Esdeath showing off in a bikini top.

"*sigh* We searched the island for so long, it became dark."

"Yes, and it's been a lovely time."

"Uh, oh yeah."

"Not only that, but I also managed to figure out where we are."

"Tell me."

"This island is several miles to the Southeast of the empire."

"Damn, he really screwed us."

"Which means...you and I are the only two people on this island, Tatsumi. So then, what would you like to do? You're in charge, go ahead, choose your fate."

These were the choices she gave:

1\. _Living here together for a bit doesn't seem so bad._

2\. _No matter what, we must return to the capital and live there._

3\. _Take me now._

"Seriously, don't all those options mean about the same thing?!"

Esdeath stood up, "Aww, you're no fun at all."

"How can you be so calm all the time?"

"Of course I'm calm; I'm the one who knows how to get back. Don't worry. However, I'll need you to give me your full cooperation. Is that clear?"

"As day."

We went to a glowing spot on the ground. "Just as I thought; The secret was in _where_ he transported us."

"He might get tired of not having someone in his way, later. But still, he must have limits on the number of people he can teleport, and how often. Plus, it has to have this mark."

"Ah, but this only the first way I found. Now, before I tell you the second way back, there's something I'd like to do."

"Which is...?"

She held my face in between her breasts, "Now that we're all by ourselves, let's learn more about each other."

My voice was muffled by her mammary glands, "Hey! I can't breathe!" Then she released me, and I gasped for air, and fell on my back to the ground. "If that's what you want, there's a lot of other ways to do it!"

She leaned toward me, "Want me to stop? Ok, then you have to answer my questions. First off, where did you learn to fight with a sword?"

"*sigh* Well, there was this retired war veteran who used to live in my village; apparently, he was a pretty good martial arts teacher as well. Anyway, I trained under him. He was the closest person I had to an actual father."

"Interesting! Did he teach you about blacksmithing as well?"

"I tried to master as many skills as I could, so I'd make a lot of money; The prime minister has been plaguing my home with heavy taxes, so we're undergoing a severe food shortage."

"To accomplish something like that takes a lot of diligence; you're very talented."

"The veteran was pretty hard on me, but I knew it was for a reason. So what about you; what's your story like? I mean, you didn't grow up in the capital, did you?"

"That's right; I was born close to the northern border."

"Now I get why you like ice in the first place."

"I don't suppose you've heard of the Partas clan."

"As in, 'Hotaru Partas'?"—Hotaru's name is Japanese for " _firefly_." This was reflected in his outfit which had the appearance of an insect's exoskeleton. He even had red flags attached to the back of his armor, representing the wings of a firefly. His special attacks evoked a firefly's glow and power of flight. Hotaru was formerly a general from the realm of Seido—otherwise known as Orderrealm—and devoted himself to preserving law and order at any cost. So much so that he could have been described as a zealot. Hotaru was more of a lawful-type of neutral because he preserved law and order and harshly punished those who dare break it, but he was not above preserving it to a higher authority.

"Yes; they were a hunting clan that specialized in killing danger beasts. And I was the daughter of Hotaru, whom was their chief. Since you were kind enough to tell me about your past, I guess I'll share mine. Eat or be eaten. I grew up in a wonderful environment like that. The danger beasts and us...The exchange of lives between us as we did everything we could to each other was fun. However, when I was just an infant, my father had to witness an ultra-class dange beast. But, the strong one wins, and the weak one perishes. I had to learn that the hard way one day. I was returning from a hunt that lasted a few days, where I was able to catch a rare species of evil bird; I was sure he'd be proud of me. But then, I discovered what happened in my long absence. A rival tribe had killed everyone...including my father. He died in my arms...telling me...to be strong. I had to hunt danger beasts to survive after that, but since prey was getting scarce, I signed up for the imperial army. It was just a matter of changing the target of hunting from danger beasts to humans. That's the story of my life."

"I heard you killed a northern tribe as an example."

"I mourn for my father, but that, too, was just because he was weak..."

"Still, I think there's a hidden reason that even you didn't know."

"What does that mean?"

"Some people have secrets in them that even they themselves don't know. I think your father didn't want you to get carried away with the idea of you inflicting pain on a living organism; I guess he just didn't say anything because he wasn't too concerned."

"Oh, really?"

I decided to change the subject, "So...is that tattoo on your chest your **Imperial Arms**?"

She grabbed my hand, and made me touch the marking, "You noticed, huh."

" **Demon's Extract** ; grants whoever is able to master it complete control over ice. In other words, it's an elemental-type. But believe me, it's not an ability unique to you. I knew a warrior named 'Sub-Zero' who was born with that ability; a cryomancer."

"So, there's another person able to control ice."

"Not currently. Not for another nine-hundred years."

I told her about the two Sub-Zero brothers.

* * *

 **Outer Residence of the capital:**

Syura was up—he was sleeping with a young woman in her home—and getting ready to open the gateway for us. "Now then, it's about time I opened you a path back home, Tatsumi. **Shambhala**. Point B, release. There we go."

The young woman woke up, "What're you doing there?"

"Ah? It's nothing. Go back to sleep." He then thought to himself, _"Hehe, one day, I'll surpass you, Father. And Kid, this time, I'm looking forward to killing you myself."_

* * *

 **Back with Esdeath and Me:**

Esdeath ran off to catch an air manta as method number two for getting back to the capital, when the gateway opened. _"So, you want to deal with me yourself, huh, Syura?_ Esdeath! The exit's here! Come back!"

She turned around at the last minute, "Wait! Tatsumi!"

* * *

 **Mountainous region:**

We were back to the summit, and it was already dawn; of course, I was wearing **Incursio** , and was invisible. "Tatsumi...where are you?"

I had to break the news to her, "This is where we part ways, Esdeath; for now, at least."

"Tatsumi...I'm not letting you go, I already told you!" Tears were starting to come out of her eyes.

"You love me, right? Well, it might be the same vise versa. But there's an old saying; 'If you love something so much, set it free. If it comes back to you, it's yours.' And to be honest, you came to me."

"Promise me, we'll meet again."

"Maybe...but it might not be the same. The next time we meet...it might be as enemies."

* * *

 _ **I originally planned on having Esdeath and Tatsumi fighting Scorpion on the island, but I didn't have any ideas on how that might work. So, did you see a change in Esdeath's character? Obviously, I made Tatsumi's personality much more calm and collected.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	19. Chapter 19

**Kill the Jaegers:**

"...Livestock." The corrupt head of public finance, Gebaze, was watching the people he taxed suffer through his window. "Livestock. Livestock! What great expressions on all of them...damn pigs are only fit to exploit...Alcohol bought with the tax money of the citizens sure is delicious. Perhaps I'll pocket a little more starting next month."

One of his maids walked in through the door, "Master, it's time for your massage."

"Ohhh! Today, I'll have the refreshing full-body massage course!"

However, the maid stuck a needle into his neck, instead, killing him on the spot; that maid was actually revealed to be Chelsea in disguise. "Mission successful...so what kind of massage did you have in mind?" Then she heard footsteps rushing to her.

Kurome and Wave burst through the door, "We're the Jaegers sir, we're here to protect you! We need to search the mansion!"

Chelsea had already hidden; She'll explain it later.

Kurome, "Look at this."

"We were too late."

* * *

 **Hideout:**

"I don't know what happened." Chelsea was explaining to us what went on, "Must've had a leak somewhere down the line; the Jaegers walked in on me."

Mine, "I'm amazed you made it out safely; those guys are a real threat!"

"He had a few cats, so I turned into one and just acted casual until they left."

Me, "That still counts as 'hiding out in the open'."

Mine, "So, I guess your **Imperial Arms** does have it's uses then; I'm not sure how I would've got out of a pinch like that."

Chelsea, "Without the masks Tatsumi made, It'd be harder for you since they'd know what you look like. Feel free to leave missions like that to me, from now on, okay?"

"Huh? Wow, thanks Chelsea!"

"Well, while I'm out saving the day, you be sure to guard the house," she was tormenting Mine, "Like a puppy!"

Ieysayu was laughing his ass off.

"Whaaa! Just when you're being nice, you turn into a piece of crap!" She started chasing Chelsea, "Oh my god, I hate you!"

"Hahahahaha! I remember when Mine used to say that same shit to me!" I hit Ieysayu on the head to get him to stop laughing, "Haha...Gah! What'd you do that for?!"

Akame, "Well, based on what happened, it would seem the Jaegers might be starting to home in on us."

Leone, "Well, now that they've run out of danger beasts to hunt, maybe Night Raid is the last group of enemies they have left to fight. But, since Tatsumi decided to take an Island vacation with their leader..."

Ieysayu was in tears of envy, "And she has such a nice bod!"

Sayo, "Pervert."

Leone continued, "Maybe they'll decide to go easy on us."

Me, "Don't count on it; I was sent there against my will, remember!"

Lubbock, "Sure; you were just alone in paradise with a beautiful woman. Not like I'm totally jealous of you or anything." He started stirring sugar into Najenda's coffee, "You could've just left her there; I mean she's the most dangerous killer in the empire. Boy, am I glad that wasn't me! Whoo, I sure am lucky!" He then broke into tears of jealousy, "LUCKY, LUCKY ME!"

Leone, "Don't hurt yourself there, Lub." She pulled my face into her cleavage, "Come here, Tatsumi; just forget all about that nasty lady! Goochie, Goochie!"

I pushed myself out, "Cut it out with the physical affection, already, okay!"

Najenda walked in through the door, "Esdeath was always a resilient one. Even if you'd left her, she would've found a way back...so forget about owing her any favors, because when you go up against her in combat, I expect you to do so with all you've got."

Sayo, "Did you say 'always'?"

Ieysayu, "Hold on, Boss, how old "are' you, anyway?"

Tatsumi, "Don't ask that to a woman, Ieysayu!"

"I'm in my mid-twenties, if you must know; Esdeath is actually a bit younger."

Ieysayu was surprised, "No way! You're only in your mid-twenties?! I thought you were way older!"

Me, "Ieysayu!"

Najenda beat him so hard, that his face was briefly swollen, and her metallic knuckles were steaming.

Sheele, "Ieysayu, you should know better than to ask a woman how old she is. It's rude."

Ieysayu's voice was high-pitched for a little bit, "Yeah! When Akame talked about Leone being fat, how come she didn't get 'her' face smashed in?!"

Akame, "What're you talking about?"

 **Su** walked in with a dish he prepared, "Food's ready, everyone."

Sheele dropped Ieysayu and ran back to the table. Everyone had hungry eyes.

Najenda interrupted, "I know it's fun, but let's have a strategy meeting after we eat. It's time to move out. Revolution is finally here, we're ready to take the first step towards overthrowing this corrupt government, once and for all."

I couldn't shake the horrible feeling that the Brotherhood of the Shadow was behind it all. _"First, Quan Chi; then, the revenants...I think there's a higher force at work here, I can feel something's wrong."_

* * *

 **Elsewhere:**

Seryu had caught and tied up three thieves. "Look, we're not with Night Raid, I swear!"

"I promise, we only stole what we needed to eat! We would never kill anyone!"

My words rang through her head again.

 _"With all of the people you've killed, why would you remember an innocent bread thief?_ _Now you understand why I don't want a monster like you touching me."_

 _"Sparing one life doesn't atone for all the terrible things you've done. You still have a very long way to go before you can even begin to cleanse your tainted soul."_

Then, to Seryu's surprise, **Coro** ate one of the thieves' legs—she was snapped out of her thoughts by the man's screaming, "Coro!", she looked back at the thieves, "*sigh* Just don't tell anyone about this, Got It?!" She had Coro give her a sword arm, which she used to cut the petty thieves free. _"Somehow, I get the feeling that Night Raid were just the puppets, not the ones truly responsible for Captain Ogre's death."_

Wave was looking for her, "Seryu, there you are!" The two ran up to each other, "So, what happened to the thieves you found?"

"They didn't have anything...just bread thieves."

Wave then noticed blood in **Coro** 's mouth, "Wait...did you just...execute them?"

" **Coro** got carried away and ate one of the legs of one of them."

Wave thought to himself, _"I won't pretend this a pretty job...but I never knew the imperial capital was this twisted. This is seriously messed up, but I must repay my debt of honor. All I can do is fulfill my deed, as a soldier."_

* * *

 **Deep in the imperial palace:**

"Well now...are you sure this will appease him?" Seryu stopped when she heard Prime Minister Honest talking with someone.

"Lord Shinnok wishes for Night Raid to be his; and the only way for that to happen, is by executing them."

She walked against the wall, and peered ever so slightly into the room.

"Weren't Bulat and Ogre resurrected, already?"

"The Master of Souls has no interest in Ogre, nor the former wearer of **Incursio**...Tatsumi is the one whom matters the most, as he easily surpasses both of them." The unknown man was drinking a glass of wine, and appeared to be pale white, wearing black leather clothes.

"True, but General Esdeath has taken...a liking to him. She even refused my son."

"If that is the case, then Esdeath will have to be expended as well as the other Jaegers."

"Ohoho! You are a brilliant business partner, Quan Chi!"

"I do whatever I can for Netherrealm's master. We are still searching for a new route to reach the Jinsei. In the meantime, have the Jaegers find, and kill Night Raid quickly; Lord Shinnok is getting impatient."

Seryu, _"This 'Shinnok' was the one responsible for Captain Ogre's death?! Did he also plot the deaths of my father, an Dr. Stylish as well?"_

* * *

 **Hideout:**

Najenda was explaining the strategy to us, "The revolutionary army is rising up; as such, I would like to take this opportunity to explain our first order of business. I assume you're all familiar with the popular religion among citizens, known as 'Path of Peace'."

Chelsea, "They're the ones who believe a person's good deeds determine their happiness, and longevity of life."

Ieysau, "Oh yeah! They used to practice that religion in our village."

Sayo, "In fact, they day we left for the capital, the mayor even gave Tatsumi a statue of their god."

Najenda, "In the past ten years, more and more people have been joining; its influence is quite high in the eastern part of the capital. We have reason to believe that they're taking up on arms; they're looking to launch a religious rebellion." Everyone gasped in confusion...well, except for me. "The plan is for us to use that to our fullest advantage."

Ieysayu pounded on the table, "Hey! Now wait just a second! Don't you understand how many people could die if there's a religious rebellion?! Shouldn't we try to stifle it or something?!"

Me, "Ieysayu, cool it!"

Najenda, "The capital's let its backwards government push its people over the edge!" She took a quick puff of her cigarette, "Even if we manage to stop the rebellion, then the angry masses would simply explode somewhere else. This forsaken empire's already living out its last days, finally." She crushed the cigarette in her artificial hand.

Sayo, "Do you really think so?" Ieysayu was left growling.

Chelsea, "You should've at least let her finish before you threw a tantrum!"

Lubbock, "Just think back to that story we told you, about the rebel tribe and the hero from the north."

Me, "Didn't Esdeath put a stop to both of those, though?"

"They failed because they tried to confront the empire by themselves. The powers that be are pretty capable; give'em a little time, and they'll snap up the Path of Peace rebellion too, and when they do it, it won't be pretty."

Najenda put her mechanical hand on the map in the table, "And that's where the revolutionary army comes in; we're allied with the tribes in the west that's set to begin their invasion the moment the religious uprising starts to move. When they do, the empire will be forced to defend itself on both sides of the border, but that won't be enough to bring it down, so for the finishing blow, the revolutionary army will stage a riot in the south. As soon as we march into the capital, we'll bring the empire to its knees."

Ieysayu, "Now I get it."

Sayo, "Do you?"

Ieysayu dropped his head in defeat, "No, sorry."

Me, "We're planning a three-way offensive."

Najenda, "The empire has a long history of underestimating us, and now they're grateful to the revolution for gathering all the people who oppose them into one place. The revolutionary army stronghold is located at the empire's border, they'll have to break through a lot of checkpoints along the way to get to the imperial castle. Lucky for us, we're already in secret talks with several of the castle viceroys; many of them used to work diligently at central, only to wind up getting relegated, so they were happy to cooperate. It should be quite a sight; our forces will storm the capital, and claim castle after castle, without spilling an ounce of blood. Of course, the empire will probably respond by sending their trump cards, Great General Budou, and the royal guards, but that'll drain the palace defenses, which works in our favor."

Akame, "Making it the perfect time to assassinate the source of all this...they'll charge into the imperial palace head-on, and we'll kill the minister; rip the empire apart from the inside."

Lubbock, "The minister's pretty slick, so I'm sure he'll try to sneak away at the very last second."

I stopped Leone, because she ended up getting shot to death the first time around, "Not if I can help it; this is his mess, I'll make sure he pays for it with his blood."

Najenda, "We do have debts to pay, we promised the western tribe we would return their land in exchange for their assistance."

"Return..."

Mine, "Some parts of the empire's western territory were originally owned by foreign tribes; I know how desperately they must want that land back."

 _"I know, half of Mine's blood is from a western tribe."_

Najenda, "After the empire falls, and its laws are abolished, the people's anger will subside; and the quicker we can overthrow the imperial capital, the less blood we'll have to be spilled. Is that alright with you, Tatsumi?"

"Yes ma'am."

Ieysayu, "I'm sorry I interrupted you."

Najenda, "Now then, you should know there's just one problem with the Path of Peace, and it's a pretty big one."

Me, _"I guess Honest already decided to rear his ugly head with this."_

"A man named Bulac serves as the assistant to the charismatic figure they call their 'lord'. However, he's actually a spy sent by the minister. Bulac seeks to take control from the religion's founder, and prevent the church from rebelling against the empire. So here's what I'd like you to do; sneak into the Path of Peace headquarters and kill Bulac. He's also been secretly drugging his followers, through their food, a little at a time, getting them addicted and making them into his slaves. Don't go easy on it."

Lubbock muttered to himself before raising his voice, "So, that bastard gets to hop around from one hot girl to the next..."

While Lub was angry at Bulac for the girls, **Su** was angry for the food, "And slipping things into someone's meal is an unspeakable insult to the food..."

In unison, they said, "This guy is goin' down!" Then they crossed their arms with each other.

Najenda, "Nice enthusiasm, though I think it might be a little misplaced."

Leone, "If we don't do something soon, he's gonna keeping drugging more and more people...we need to finish this fast."

"We can't forget about the Jaegers, either; as long as they have Esdeath calling the shots, they might as well be the minister's own private army. We should eliminate them, first; that way, we can be sure the mission runs smoothly." We all turned to Najenda, "Right now, the Jaegers are doing everything in their power to get their hands on us, so we need to draw them out of the capital...and strike them all down."

Mine, "Sounds fun, let's hit those jerk wads with all we've got."

"If the oppurtunity presents itself, HQ specifically wants us to kill Bols and Kurome." Najenda turned to me, "You should be able to fight people you're familiar with, right, Tatsumi?"

Me, "Wave was a good guy, he's not one of our targets. It's not like I have a reason to hurt him; but if I know Wave, he'll do anything to protect the rest of his team, so I'll probably have to face him, anyway. Above all else, I'm an assassin; I chose this for myself...and I knew exactly what I was getting into when I decided to join...I'll do what must be done; I will complete this mission, even if I have to fight someone who's not a target! No holds barred!" Everyone smiled at me.

Najenda, "Good!"

Chelsea, _"I can feel the resolve in those eyes of his...hopefully he won't get all sympathetic for the enemy, and get himself killed."_ She then realized what she was thinking, _"Wait! What?! Why am I always troubling myself with Tatsumi?"_ She started blushing, _"I can't help but worry about him."_

* * *

 **Palace:**

Esdeath was staring at the drawing of me she had(Again; stalker alert)when Ran came in, and snapped her out her thoughts. "Commander. Two Unidentified women have been spotted on the highroad; we have reason to suspect they're Akame and Sheele from Night Raid."

Esdeath stood up, "Gather the Jaegers, immediately."

They rode out on horseback, where revolutionary spies caught them, and sent a carrier falcon to deliver information to Najenda.

* * *

 _ **Things are heating up...does Shinnok from the first entry have involvement in the plot of "Akame ga Kill!"**_

 ** _The answer will come in a future chapter._**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	20. Chapter 20

**Kill the Trap**

Najenda recieved the message from the spies. "...Six people. So all of the Jaegers have moved out. _...Considering Esdeath's movement speed, even if they had information on our path they should be here around tomorrow afternoon."_ When that was finished, the silver-haired woman sent the falcon back out. "...All right!" Then, she turned to Akame and Sheele behind her, who were wearing bikinis, "I received information from the revolutionary army's spies. You guys, nonchalantly attract attention as we planned."

Both said in unison, "Roger that!"

* * *

Below them, the rest of us were enjoying playing in the lake in the area. Chelsea, Leone and Sayo were splashing around in the water, Mine was still changing,...Lubbock and Ieysayu, well...

Lubbock, "Weelll..."

Ieysayu, "It sure is nice to be able to see the girls in their swimsuits, in a place like this."

Me, as usual when the do this, "Both of you, stop drooling over them, this is part of the plan too."

"Huh?!" The two perverts were confused by what I said.

Ieysayu, "Are you stupid?"

Lubbock, "Are you gay?!"

"No I'm not!"

Then, Leone's typical flirty voice. "Tatsumiii!" Turning to face her, I saw that she and Chelsea were right in my face. "Between Chelsea and me, whose swimsuit do you like better?"

Chelsea, "Ohhh, I'd like to hear the answer to that."

The busty blonde was wearing an orange and yellow stripe bikini, and the auburn hair Chelsea was wearing a sky blue bikini, with a flowered pattern, and the lower part had frills at the leg holes.

"Now," "Which is it?"

"I...I, well, uh..." I was trying to think of someway to get out of that extremely awkward scenerio.

That's when Mine came in. "Tatsumi..." I turned, and saw the pinkette in a pink bikini that was definitely her style. "Does this look okay on me?" She was kinda blushing, but not nearly as much as me.

"I don't have the words."

Leone, "Ah man, he dodged the question."

That's when the other two guys...well...

Ieysayu, "If they asked me, I'd yell, 'I love them both, of course!' and then I'd jump into their chests and start playing with them!"

Lubbock, "I'd jump into their chests while singing the national anthem!"

Unison, "WHY'D YOU ASK TATSUMI...!"

They both got a hand pressing their faces, from the girls.

Leone, "It's because you're those kind of men."

* * *

Sheele, "...The people in the team whose faces aren't known are pretty loud. And it looks like Mine finally made her move on Tatsumi." The purple air headed woman turned to her friend, "What's wrong, Akame?" She remained silent. "Are you thinking about your sister?"

"...Yeah." The red-eyed assassin sat down, "She's chasing me as a target, after all. I just end up thinking about a lot of things."

A moment of silence bestowed upon the two of them. "Even if your sister dies, don't you say you're all alone, even if you say it by accident. You have us."

Akame smiled, "...Yeah."

* * *

 **The Next Day; Romari Road:**

The Jaegers were at a rest stop, and having a snack.

Esdeath, "Najenda is continuing east, and Akame is moving south! Their party's been witnessed splitting into two groups after coming here."

Seryu was comically keeping her treat away from **Coro** , while still holding it.

Bols, "If you go east, you'll come upon Kyoroch; where the headquarters for the Path of Peace is located. If you keep going south, you'll find cities that support the rebels. In any case, this is suspicious."

Wave lit up with enthusiasm, "If we hurry, we can quickly catch up with them. Let's go!"

Esdeath, "Well, wait. Night Raid's members are criminals from the capital. Since wanted posters haven't circulated to the local regions, they were seen and tracked, and on top of that, they were witnessed splitting into two groups. Isn't this too convenient?"

Ran, "Yes. I think there's a high probability of this being a trap."

Seryu looked rather concerned, "What's their reason for standing out on purpose? To lure us out from the capital and defeat us?"

Esdeath, "Najenda is like that. She fights calmly, with a burning heart."

Wave, "So that means it's dangerous to give chase." Holding his hand on his chin while saying that.

"...No, we won't waste this opportunity. Night Raid, who've been cleverly hiding themselves until now, have neatly revealed themselves. We'll prepare for their trap, and squash them, trap and all! Seryu, Ran, and I will follow Najenda. Kurome, Wave, and Bols, you chase Akame." Akame's little sister smiled rather unsettlingly. "Be aware of your surroundings at all times. And I don't care if you have to retreat because the enemy's waiting for you with overwhelming numbers. We might be on the offense here, but I'm not telling you to do a suicide attack, after all. They are the final rats who oppose the capital. Chase them down and finish them, without fail!"

All the other Jaegers responded in unison, "Roger!"

* * *

The latter three Jaegers were heading in our direction. Bols was a bit uneasy. "So our opponents are the capital's strongest, Night Raid...I wonder if someone like me can win..."

Wave gave him words of encouragement, "It'll be all right. When I fought someone from Night Raid before, he didn't fight me back, but in terms of skill, I felt he was about even with me. If we work together, we'll definitely win! Your **Imperial Arms** ' suited for fighting crowds, so in fact, it's heartening to be with you!"

"...I wonder..."

Kurome teased Wave about what he said, "You're saying cool things like that, but I feel like you're going to be the one holding us back the most, Wave."

"WHAAAT?!" the former member of the Navy was annoyed, "Are you saying you can't trust in my ability?!"

"Yep. I kind of feel like you'd be weak when we really need you."

"Well you know, if I equip **Grand Chariot**!"

"Then show me how strong you are."

"Ohh! Bring it on!"

Bols stopped their arguing, "No fighting, you two!"

Then, Wave saw something in the path ahead. "Hey, there's something in front of us." When they got closer..."A scarecrow...?"

Bols, "You're right! It's suspicious to the point of there's no way it could be more suspicious!" They dismounted from their horses, "It'll be bad if it's a trap. Let's take care and look at it."

On a nearby cliff, Mine was wearing her mask, and taking aim with **Pumpkin**. _"Targets sighted! Looking at their numbers, Esdeath split her group and went east after Boss herself. Just as planned!"_ However, Mine hesitated when she specifically aimed at Kurome.

Ieysayu was watching from the same cliff with his mask on, and using a pair of binoculars. He also noticed Kurome, "...They really are similar...as expected of them being sisters..."

Mine took aim once again, "That's why...I don't want Akame to have to do this. I'll take care of her...! I'll at least do it quickly, with one shot." Mine fired **Pumpkin**. However, Kurome dodged immediately.

Ieysayu, "What the hell?! She dodged it! What was that superhuman reaction time just now?!"

 **Susanoo** then sprung out of nowhere, and Wave intervened. "Kurome! Watch out!" With his body—painfully—Wave blocked the blow from **Su** 's staff—"Uohh!"—and was sent flying.

Bols was alarmed, "WAVE!"

Najenda, "We failed on the sniping, but we blew away one...and it wasn't the one who was a target, this is good." The rest of us were now facing the other two Jaegers.

"Night Raid...? And this is all of them!? So the east was a complete fake."

"Kurome and Bols. Even within the Jaegers, you two are priority targets. Prepare yourselves." The Boss was pointing at them.

"Priority targets...because I've burned countless people...I feel that nothing can be done about it if I'm targeted by assassins...but, I will not die!"

Me, "Boss...I forgot to mention something."

Najenda, "Not now."

"Bols has a family."

"I said not no...wait, what?!"

"A wife and daughter...that's why I'm concerned about him. What'll happen to them if he dies?"

Chelsea, "Tatsumi, you should never listen to fake sob stories on the battlefiel..."

I couldn't keep it in. "It's not fake!" It kinda echoed.

With the sisters...

"Sis."

"Kurome..."

"I've really been wanting to see you. Thank god. If I cut you down, I can add you to **Yatsufusa** 's collection." Kurome drew her sword, and activated it's main ability; undead puppets, and one of them was an Ultra-Class danger beast, known as a destaghoul. "Unlike from before, if it's a dead body, I've become able to make anything a puppet. Even if it's the Ultra-Class danger beast, Destaghoul."

Najenda, _"It was a gamble as to whether Esdeath would split her forces into two. But I see, if **Yatsufusa** 's this powerful, a little trap doesn't mean anything!"_

"Now then, the Imperial Arms battle is starting. I wonder how many of you are going to die?"

* * *

 ** _Things are starting to heat up now. You're probably wondering who I'm gonna save at the end of the battle._**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	21. Chapter 21: Night Raid Faction 2

**Kill the Puppets Part 1: Night Raid Faction 2(Part 1)**

This was not going to be easy. But, as typical, Akame didn't hesitate to launch herself straight towards Kurome. "The user's movements will become slower if they control eight corpses at once. I will not miss this opportunity!" The sisters clashed swords with, and went skidding past each other. Akame swung again, only to be blocked by the Naginata of a familiar face, "Natara!" She barely dodged Natara's strikes. "Just put him to rest, Kurome! You grew up together!"

"Why would you say that, Sis?! I want him to stay close to me, forever, and ever; he's my special friend! And I would love to add you to my collection...cause that way, we could be together like the old days."

"Not on your life!" Akame was knocked off the destaghoul.

"Too bad."

Bols was starting up **Rubicante** ," **Magma Drive**." and a huge fireball came out of the flamethrower, right towards Akame.

"His **Imperial Arms** can do ranged attacks?!"

Once again, I had to jump in and save the day as usual; by grabbing Akame. "Don't take them on alone! This isn't like you, Akame!"

"I'm sorry."

When we landed, I told them what I knew. "These guys won't go down, without a fight."

The destaghoul let Kurome and Natara off on a ledge. "Big sister; it's a shame you betrayed the empire and sided with 'them'."

Ieysayu, "WHAT WAS THAT?!"

"Destaghoul, crush them!"

The undead danger beast was about to unleash an immense beam of blue energy from its maw, forcing all of us to jump out of the way and take cover. That beam ripped through the canyon like it was nothing.

Me, "Mine, are you all right?"

"S-Class danger beasts are worse than I thought; that's incredible!"

"They do have the power to alter the landscape."

Nearby, Lubbock, Sheele, and Sayo were monitoring using **Cross Tail** and binoculars. "Looks like the fight's already started!"

Lubbock, _"Najenda, rest assured, I will do the best I possibly can for you...and when this mission is over, I'll tell you how I really feel. If I wait any longer, **Su'** s gonna nab you first!"_

Back with the fight, **Su** , "Its power is true to its class."

Najenda, "Got it! Everyone, work together!"

"You didn't issue the proper command."

"Huh?!"

"This destaghoul may indeed be a formidable foe, but I can handle it on my own. Assign the rest of the team elsewhere."

Me, "The other puppets!" I noticed Mine was trying to aim for Kurome again, when Natara extended his Naginata, and another puppet, a female gunslinger, was headed right for her.

Ieysayu was facing an apeman danger beast. "Is this thing a danger beast? I've never seen this type before." It came at him with a barrage of punches, before he landed a blow with **Belvaak**. Then, "Another one?!"

I took care of it; a masked man with wrist blades.

Akame was tackling Bols on her own. "It'll be dangerous if he were to supply cover fire with that flame. I will consign him!"

Bols, "To think she would come straight at me..."

When he expelled a fire stream at Akame, she simply dodged, and tried sneaking behind him. "HAHH!" However, another puppet—a bald man, wearing sunglasses and a white monkey suit, and using a riot shield—blocked **Murasame**. "Kuh! _**Murasame** won't work against the corpse puppets!"_ She ended up getting knocked flat onto her ass by him.

"Akame!" Leone went to her aid, only to have her ankle snagged by a whip. "Huh-" she was thrown aside by yet another puppet—a man with red hair. "...Old man, you've sure done it now." He tried whipping her again, but she easily adapted. "I can see through an attack of that level..." But he had another surprise for her. "I can't?!" He whipped her repeatedly, and very fast as well. "Ow! _My kinetic vision can't keep up, even though I'm transformed?! Even though he's not using an **Imperial Arms** or anything...Kuh...this guy...!"_

Kurome was simply watching from where she was sitting. "Woow, it's a huge melee. Interesting!"

Akame was clearly struggling. "Kurome..."

"Hey, aren't they great? My toys. Doya is an assassin sent from the northern tribes. Her confident nature shows on her face even now, see? But she was crying and screaming when I killed her, if I recall. Wall was a famous guardsman, but I killed him because he was protecting a target of mine. Apeman's a meathead, but he's easy to use so I've had him as a favorite for a while. Hentarr was a survivor from the Ban tribes. His movements are tricky, and I hard a hard time killing him. He's my pride and joy. Rokgough was a general of the empire. He was exposed trying to betray us and join the rebel army, so he was assassinated. I found Destaghoul hibernating in a huge hole in Seiga. That was lucky. And Natara is my friend from childhood. He guards me completely during **Yatsufusa** 's activation! And the last one is a danger beast I made into a puppet just a while ago, but you'll have to wait a bit more for its debut."

Ieysayu was having a bit of trouble with Apeman. "SHIT!"

Luckily, I showed up and faced the danger beast. "Hey, Monkey Boy...Pick on someone your own size!"

Fight

Apeman's attacks were simple; just punches, kicks, and biting. However, I used my own wrist blades to stab him repeatedly in the abdomen, until I hit the spine; that action completely stopped his lower body movements, thus weakening him, severely, as, contrary to popular belief, most of a punch actually comes from the lower body.

"Finish him!"

I grabbed his neck, and just pulled his head off—spine included—the rest of him dropped to the ground. Sub-Zero called it the "Spine Rip".

Tatsumi Wins-Flawless Victory-Fatality

"The removal of their central nervous system stops them; their brain and spine, both."

Leone was facing Rokgough. "Old man, so you were an imperial general. I thought you were strong." He tried to hit her with his whip—"But,"—she caught it again, this time she memorized it. "As you'd expect,...I'm already used to it."

Fight

Leone kicked Rokgough away, then launched a charge, followed by a pounce, and savage claw slashing. Rokgough managed to get in a lucky chain of three whip strikes on her afterwards though. She grabbed him, and began punching the stuffing outta him; the fifth one launched him. Leone ended it—I taught them all this at some point—with an X-Ray Move of her own; Leone threw Rokgough into the air, then brought him down on her knee, breaking the stomach, back, and legs, and then brought him to her upper back and shoulder again, dealing damage on the higher end of his spine, heart, and ribs, causing them damage.

Leone Wins

"Don't think that the same move is going to work on me forever!"

Rokgough just got right back up, but was still badly damaged to the point where he was limping. That's when Najenda came in. "Good work, Leone!" Even with all her injuries, that artificial arm is brutal when used as a weapon. "General Rokgough, as an ex-colleague, I will free you from the binding as quickly as possible."

Leone was amazed, "It...It's been a while since I've seen the Boss fight. All right, me too..."

Sneaky little Kurome came down, and sliced Leone's left arm off; now, **Lionelle** may grant regenerative abilities, but it cannot bring back an entire arm—for that, it needs the aid of **Crosstail**. "You really shouldn't take your eyes off of me completely. Because if there's ever an opportunity, I'll attack as much as I can. Until you die." At the same time, I was jumping up to help Mine. Already, Hentarr was holding me back.

Leone was definitely pissed; she hates being the victim of surprise attacks, as you probably already knew. "You've done it now..." Leone squeezed the wound till it closed, and the bleeding stopped. "HAHH!"

"Ooh, amazing, you can stop your blood yourself!"

"I'll show you just what happens...when you anger a lion!"

Najenda stopped her from doing something really stupid. "Don't charge in, Leone! Kurome has guards! First, go support Akame. You two go for Kurome after that. We're both ex-generals over here...if the opponent doesn't use an **Imperial Arms** , I'll be able to do something about them."

"...I understand. Just you wait. I'll be heading over there afterward!"

Kurome was mocking her. "How tough. I might want to have you in my collection."

Akame was struggling with Bols and Wall. "Kuh...! _Because of the guard...I can't thoughtlessly jump in! But if I keep moving, an opening should appear!"_ She kept running circles around them, and dodging all the flames Bols threw at her at the same time. Then, an opening came, and she launched herself straight at him, _"I can do it!"_ avoiding Wall completely. But Bols had a metal plate in the palm of his hand that prevented **Murasame** from cutting into his flesh _. "Protection here, too...! Countermeasures against **Murasame**!"_

Bols fired again, but Akame's reflexes saved her life. "She just did an amazing dodge!?" For a moment, Bols asked Akame something. "Akame...may I ask you something? Why did you join the revolutionary army? It would've been so nice to have you with us."

She remained silent for a moment; remembering the carnage she caused when she worked for the empire. "I chose Night Raid, because my heart told me it was the right thing to do. I simply decided to follow the path in which I believe."

"I completely understand. I do. But I'm sorry," Bols prepared **Rubicante** again, "I'm afraid it's still my job to eradicate you, regardless of your beliefs."

Leone showed up. "Wait just a secooond!" She landed right next to Akame, "Let me in too! With this, it's a two versus two." The latter noticed that the busty blonde was missing an arm. "Well, don't mind this. Focus on the fight for now!"

"He's strong. Be careful."

"Yeah. Let's defeat Bols and go to where Kurome is!"

Najenda held her own against her former comrade. _"Considering I'm about half as strong as I was before I got these wounds from Esdeath...I'm swifter than I expected!"_ Then, Rokgough thrusted his whip straight into the ground. "Earth Shaker?!" The other end popped out of the ground right in front of the silver-haired woman. She barely avoided it by using her reel mechanism. "We've been fighting for so long, I can stay ahead of anything you've got!" She fired the mechanism again, this time straight at the red-haired man. He dodged it, but the Boss was just faking him out. "Fire! Reel assault!" She retracted the line and kicked Rokgough's head off. However, that did not stop him, much to her shock. "What the hell kind of **Imperial Arms** is this?!" She kicked, and punched him into another beam shot by Destaghoul. That same beam took **Su** 's right arm off, but he regenerates instantly, so he wasn't handicapped at all. **Su** was distracted by a minor detail.

"This is difficult, but I won't be defeated."

"Well, it is an S-Class; are you having trouble with it?"

"It hits really hard, but the main problem is right there." **Su** pointed at the danger beast's left arm, "That little bump is getting on my nerves. It's disgusting how it completely breaks up the symmetry. If it wasn't so distracting, I wouldn't have got hit."

"You're joking...I swear, you really need to get over this obsessive-compulsive thing. _Still, if someone doesn't get Kurome soon, we're gonna start suffering casualties."_ Najenda turned to her **Imperial Arms** , " **Susanoo**! As your master, I am giving you permission to use your **Trump Card**!"

"Understood."

Ieysayu was trying to keep Hentarr busy, while I went to aid Mine(I just wanted to feel better, by not letting her get injured). It wasn't going so well. "Dammit! Why won't you just hold still?!"

Then, Hentarr spotted someone; a member of his fallen tribe. At that point, he completely stopped; he had longed to see at least one of his people again. However, the tribesman thrusted a needle into his forehead, drawing blood. "It's just like Akame said." The tribesman was actually Chelsea. " **Yatsufusa** 's corpses don't have a will of their own. They're nothing but puppets. But a few traces of their quirks and their deepest feelings do remain intact. Sorry, but I'm not actually a member of your lost tribe."

Hentarr screamed in rage. Then, Ieysayu took the upperhand he got. "Hey, remember me?...You're all mine."

Fight

Hentarr leaped into the air, and kicked Ieysayu. Ieysayu landed three punches and juggled with an uppercut. He separated **Belvaak** and threw one half right at Hentarr. He then did an X-Ray Move; Ieysayu smacked the side of Hentarr's face with the flat side of **Belvaak** , then swung downwards with the edge smashing into the spine, shattering it. Finally, Ieysayu turned Hentarr back around, and thrusted his knee into the corpse's skull. Ieysayu slashed downwards with **Belvaak** , slicing Hentarr in half.

Brutality-Ieysayu Wins

"Nice one, Ieysayu! He shouldn't be such a nuisance anymore. By the way, where's Tatsumi?"

"He's trying to aid Mine...I don't know why he would...she's such a pain in the ass."

"Well," Chelsea went back into the wooded area, "Guess I'll leave the rest to you! See Ya'!"

"Ah, COME ON!"

 _"I can't believe I took such a big risk back there! And after everything I said about Bulat being a failed assassin! Maybe all that sentimental junk is starting to rub off on me! Oh Tatsumi, it's all your fault."_

Kurome was actually able to feel when a corpse puppet was out of commission. "Hmm...the intervals between my snack breaks keep getting shorter and shorter. _I wonder if Wave's okay. He seems fairly sturdy. I'm sure he's alive._ Uh-oh, Rokgough and Hentarr stopped moving...Apeman too?! Guess it's time...before sending in my final corpse, I should probably set another trap."

* * *

 **A Distant place from the canyon:**

Wave was badly hurt from the crash landing into rock. "Ugh! _That was a serious hit! If **Grand Chariot** 's sword hadn't blocked it, I'd be dead."_ he struggled to get back on his feet, _"I have to get back...or Bols and Kurome won't make it. Despite what Kurome thinks of herself, she can be pretty helpless. If I don't help her..."_ Wave stumbled flat onto the ground, "Ah...Dammit! That hit must've been even worse than I thought...I can't move."

* * *

Doya didn't give Mine much trouble, but that wasn't what I worried about. "So you're a sharpshooter. Too bad you're up against me. They don't call me a genius sniper for nothing." Behind her, a long tongue grabbed her, "Wha-hah-aaaaah! Ew, what is this nasty thing?!"

Kurome ran up to her, "Oh, that was quick; it's already eating someone! This is my new recruit, the kaiser frog! It's stomach acid is capable of dissolving anything it eats! It's delightful, I know! Oh, Seryu told me something funny; she said Coro almost gobbled up one of your friends. It's kind of fitting that you'd suffer that same fate!"

"No...there's no way in hell...I'm gonna die in a place like thiiiiiiis!" The frog swallowed Mine.

"The end comes much too easily, doesn't it? Bye-bye! Good boy, ready for the next meal?"

I made it to the spot, only to find that Mine was already eaten. "Mine! No!" My alarm drove me to jump onto the frog and use _Neuntote_ to try and slice it open. "Uragh! Kurome, don't think for a second I'll go easy on you just because you're Akame's little sister!"

"Well, you don't know when to quit, do ya'? Careful, Natara's power is ten times more intense than Apeman's."

"Agh, Great!" I kept trying to find the frog's stomach, but was being held back by Natara. Currently, my revenant genes were trying to break free due to my anger. I was managing, but if Mine wasn't unharmed when I got her out, I might become lethal by succumbing to the darkness inside of me.

* * *

 _ **Yeah, I want to show just how determined this reborn Tatsumi is. Bet you weren't expecting the "Spine Rip" fatality to be used by him, were you?**_

 _ **The fights in the next chapter are Susanoo vs Destaghoul(Level/Boss battle), Tatsumi vs Natara(Mini Boss), Tatsumi vs Doya(Mini Boss), and Akame vs Wall(Sub-Boss). Email me the moves each fighter uses. Obviously with the first one, it's like Malos from "Shadow of the Colossus", a living level as well as a boss battle.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	22. Chapter 22: Night Raid Faction 2

**Kill the Puppets Part 2: Nigh Raid Faction 2(Part 2)**

 **Su** began activating his **Trump Card** , " **Magatama Manifestation**."

Basically, this involves Najenda donating her own life force to **Su**. _" **Susanoo** 's **Trump Card** makes him stronger; the emblem on his chest absorbs his master's life force, and he releases that energy in combat."_ While under the effects of **Magatama Manifestation** , his hair whitened, his horns turned black, and a disk appeared on his back. _"After **Susanoo** uses this ability three times, his master will die. But the trade off is incredible strength."_

Fight

The Destaghoul began to fire again, but **Su** prepared something new; " **Yata no Kagami**!"(八咫鏡, _Yata no Kagami_ , literally translated as "Eight Span Mirror") **Su** used the floating disk on his back to create a mirror that reflected the danger beast's beam, only even more powerful, successfully knocking the gigantic corpse down before he manifested a giant, transparent sword to slash the Destaghoul in half. " **Ame no Murakumo**!"(天叢雲剣, _Ame no Murakumo_ , literally meaning "Sword of the Gathering Clouds of Heaven")

Brutality-Susanoo Wins-Flawless Victory

I was struggling with three things; one, getting Natara off my back without falling off the kaiser frog; two, getting Mine out of the kaiser frog as soon as possible; and three, trying to keep my revenant side contained. _"Argh! He's on par with me while I'm wearing **Incursio**! Doesn't matter..." _ I finally managed to throw him off, before turning my attention back to the frog, _"I don't want Mine to get hurt!"_ Then, Natara got his Naginata shaft around my neck, to try and pull me off.

Kurome was laughing at the struggle, "It's all running smoothly!" Then, the frog started to spasm, "Huh?! What's wrong, little guy?!" Bumps started popping up from the back, "She's fighting from the inside?! But how is she still alive swimming in all that acid?!" I knew that Mine was trying to blast her way out, so I thrusted _Neuntote_ deep into the spot, and let Natara pull me off, "You should pay more attention to your toys, Kurome." Kurome noticed something, "Ogh! It's leaking. Oh no, that defeats the whole point."

The opening I made was wide enough for Mine to climb out; albeit pissed off. Her clothes had holes in them from the acid, and she was gasping for air angrily. "Okay, I'm about ready to kill a bitch!"

I got up after freeing myself from Natara's grip. "Ugh! Mine, are you alright?"

"You could've helped me, y'know!"

"I...ugh...did. Ugh...I made the opening."

"Don't look at me like that, pervert!"

I climbed up to get her. "I would've gone faster, if I wasn't constantly being attack by corpses."

"That's enough for now, you two!" **Su** flew in with Najenda in his arms, and Ieysayu swung up from the ledge. "We've got a battle to win, remember?"

Mine, "Boss!"

Me, "Ieysayu?!"

Ieysayu, "Made it! Huh, what happened, why does **Su** look so cool?!"

Najenda, "You wondered how many will die, right Kurome? I think I have the answer for you."

Kurome, "Oh, you think so, huh? I get it..." She drew Yatsufusa, "I'll just have to kill every last one of you! That way, you can be my precious puppets forever!"

It was time I put my foot down, "Kurome...What you're giving your victims is nothing more...than life...worse than death! I've had enough of this!"

Fight

Natara extended his naginata at me. I got up, and did a low kick, followed by an uppercut. Natara slashed at me five times, extremely fast too. I unleashed a flurry of stabs with my wrist blades, before performing a throw. Natara did a spin kick on my face, chained with a flying kick. I finished the fight with an X-Ray.

Tatsumi Wins

"We're not pushovers." Now, it was Doya's turn. "I've faced a gunslinger before...He was a definite badass...but he was also a jerk."

Fight

Doya tossed a coin and shot at it, hitting me in the stomach. When I recovered, I tackled her, and used my own guns to shoot her in the chest five times before I got off. She landed two punches on me, but I broke the combo with an uppercut, and juggled her with my flaming fists. She low kicked me, then I high kicked her, before doing a spin kick, ending the fight.

Tatsumi Wins

"He also wouldn't have lost to me a second time." The revenant side was starting to cool down; I was back to normal.

Bols was still trying to burn Akame and Leone.

Leone, "Let's take him out!"

Akame, "Right!"

They jumped over the flames, much to the surprise of Bols. _"Why would they jump? They can't dodge up there!"_

Leone grabbed Akame's ankle and threw the red-eyed girl, "Hnnnn, NOW!"

Wall jumped towards Akame, only to have his legs sliced off by **Murasame**. _"The bodyguard is eventually going to be in our way, and we can surprise everyone by going after him first."_

"No..." Bols pointed **Rubicante** , while Leone charged at him.

 _"He's locked on Akame, and his bodyguard isn't there to help him anymore. He's mine!"_ Then, Wall used a lance under his shield to pierce Leone's remaining arm. _"Sneaky bastard! Oh, crap!"_ Bols then pointed **Rubicante** at Leone, "Yaaaaaah!" but she bit a chunk off the barrel, "Hehehe..." before spitting it out behind the man. "Tastes like you're about to lose."

"Did you actually just bite off a piece of my weapon?!"

Akame slashed off Wall's arms.

Leone, "What're you gonna do with your **Imperial Arms**? It's nothing but a hunk of garbage now!"

"She's right; I can't use it anymore. Alright then." Bols took off the turbine on his back and threw **Rubicante** into the air. "I'll dispose of it."

Leone, "Wait! No, don't!"

Bols took out a detonator, and pressed the button to set off **Rubicante** 's self destruct.

I saw it and immediately alerted the others, "Brace yourselves!" I covered up Mine, and **Su** covered Najenda and Ieysayu when **Rubicante** exploded.

* * *

 _ **Chelsea's not going to kill Bols, for those who don't know. You'll see in the next chapter. Also, Tatsumi saved Mine because he already has feelings for her from the first go round. Actually, all his actions towards her were out of affection.**_

 _ **Next Chapter is Kurome, where she'll be fighting against Sindel, Kitana, Noob Saibot, and Scorpion.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	23. Chapter 23: Kurome 1

**Kill the Curse: Kurome 1**

Ieysayu, "Wha...! What was that explosion?!"

Me, " **Rubicante** 's self-destruct. Huh...it looks like Kurome's gone."

Mine, "We hafta get her..."

"Forget it; she's probably already too far away by now. And there's no way Bols could've survived that explosion, either; at least without any bad injuries. We got one Jaeger, but the other managed to slip past us. It's a draw for now."

Najenda nodded, "You're probably right, Tatsumi. For now, let's withdraw." Rest assured, I carried Mine back the entire way.

On the other side of the canyon, Natara held Kurome bridal style. "That abnormal explosion just now was... **Rubicante** 's self-destruct...If Bols is gone too, then it'll be tough for me to stay there..." Kurome facepalmed herself, "...Kuh, _I've already begun to run out...big sis...I wonder what happened to her..."_

Down in the canyon, Akame and Leone barely managed to survive the explosion by using Wall's shield. "Leone...are you all right?"

Lets just say that Akame was holding up better. "I'm fine, I'm fine. Akame, you still have work to do."

"Leone..."

"Well, you know..." The blonde passed out, "I'm pretty confident in my recovery abi...lity..."

"...Leone? Leone!"

Nearby, Lubbock and the other girls were getting Chelsea. "Chelsea..." Sayo was the first to speak to the redhead. "The boss wants us to regroup and head back to the hideout!"

Chelsea, "I have to finish off the targets before they escape."

"The boss wants you to come as well...just forget the targets for now...we'll get another shot at Kurome, and Bols no longer has his weapon; he's useless to the Jaegers now."

Lubbock, "Granted, he survived the explosion."

Sheele, "Hm..."

Sayo, "What is it, Sheele?"

"Didn't the Boss agree with something that Tatsumi stated, before we left; something about, 'Use force, if necessary.'?"

"Now that you mention it..."

Lubbock, "She did, remember?!"

Chelsea sighed in defeat. "Okay, fine." She thought to herself, _"...I really am getting soft, aren't I..."_

Nearby, a wounded Bols was trying to find Kurome. At the same time, he was thinking about eating dinner with the other Jaegers. _"Looks like I outran it...I did something terrible to Wall...and to Kurome...I hope they're okay..."_

Suddenly, he fainted when he was stabbed in a vital spot by a kunai. The assailant was none other than Scorpion. "Your soul...is weak..."

* * *

 **In a nearby cabin:**

I insisted to **Su** that I would treat Mine's injuries myself, but he helped me anyways. She was complaining, "Ahhh, Hurry up! I wanna change my dress already!"

 **Su** , "Not until you're patched up."

Leone was in bed, Akame sitting in a chair next to the busty blonde. "Um, Leone...are you sure you'll be all right?"

"Aha! Can't you see how much better I look?! When Lub gets back, he can use **Crosstail** to sew my arm back on, and I'll be good as new!"

Ieysayu, "Uh...did you say 'sew it back on'?!"

"It's a special combo skill only Lub and I can use! Pretty handy, don't ya' think?!"

Ieysayu had a sweat drop, "Uh..."

"This recovery ability is truly **Lionelle** 's **Trump Card**! 'The undying lion'!"

Najenda, "That's quite something. My **Imperial Arms** has instant recovery, though!"

"Yes, yes, we get it already."

Me, "All organic-types do, actually."

Ieysayu, "Now we know that Leone's arm'll be fine."

"What a relief, huh, Akame?"

The dark-haired girl smiled and blushed. "Yeah."

Mine, "Well, the fact that being hard to kill is your **Trump Card** is just like you, isn't it."

Leone tried teasing Mine, "What, jealous of my **Trump Card**? Cause I'm jealous of you having a handsome boy tending to you."

"Shut up!" The pinkette then raised **Pumpkin** vertically. " **Pumpkin** has no need for anything like that! Tatsumi cutting me out was completely unnecessary! The more dangerous the situation is, the stronger my shots get."

While she was speaking, I was informing her of something, "I'm going to apply medicinal herbs. This might sting."

It's able to blast through any difficult situation...OWWWOWOWOW!"

"Sorry, Mine, but this is to prevent infection."

Ieysayu laughed at her, "It's tough to be uncool when you're trying to be cool, right? I feel for you!"

"Huhhh?! What're you going off pitying me on your own for, you open-fly bastard?! Don't put me in the same category as you!"

Then, the door swung wide open, "Buenos Dias, amigos! Who missed me?! *Cricket Chirps*" Typical Lubbock.

Leone, "Lub, get over here and sew my arm back on!"

He deadpanned.

Sayo giggled, "Way to not embarrass yourself, Lub!"

"SHUT UP!"

Me, "Um...Where's Chelsea?"

He pointed his thumb, "She's right herrrrrr-aaaaah!" When he turned his head, he was shocked that she was gone.

* * *

 **With Kurome:**

Akame's little sister was simply sitting on a stump, stuffing her face with candy. "...I'm so tired...Natara and Doya are the only two friends I have left...I don't think I'll be able to get that many again...at least my snacks are really tasty."

There was rustling in the brush behind her. When she turned to see who it was...she saw Bols(Chelsea found the real Bols paralyzed, yet she thought he was truly dead, so she took on him as a disguise). "Ah...Kurome, it's you! Thank goodness you're not injured..."

Kurome remained silent for a brief moment, "I can't believe you're still alive...that was a huge explosion!"

"The incendiary squad put me through a ritual that made me resistant to fire."

"Oh that's good." Kurome blushed, "Glad to hear it."

"But I lost my **Imperial Arms**...are you disappointed in me?"

"No..."

 _"Tatsumi gave me a rundown of the personalities and speech patterns of all the Jaegers...looks like he nailed it. She's not even going for her weapon...but I should wait for the right moment...Akame said she's using enhancements...if I attack now, she could flip out and make things difficult. I'll play it safe and wait for a clear opening."_

"Bols...Kurome?!" I acted surprised to see them—I wanted to avoid drawing unnecessary attention to myself, so I brought a half-empty first-aid kit, and kept the bandages on my injuries, to make it look like I had recently been attacked.

Kurome, "Tatsumi?! What are you doing here? And...what happened to you?"

"I was in pursuit of a yellow-clothed assassin..."

"I thought you told Esdeath it was a black-clothed assassin!"

"He was lost, I spotted another one!" I yelled in annoyance, "Anyway...what happened to you guys?!"

* * *

 **Back at the Cabin:**

Lubbock, Sayo, and Sheele finished explaining what Chelsea said to Najenda. "I see...so Chelsea found Bols' body..."

Mine, "And then she ran off to face Kurome by herself?! You guy...I saw the way she moved whenever I engaged her...It seems to me like there's a lot more going on with her than just a few drugs...those people may have done some some stuff to that Akame doesn't even know about."

Akame gasped in shock.

"Chelsea might not be able to do anything to her...we need to hurry up with those reinforcements!"

"I already gave Tatsumi clearance to do something. Akame, I know you haven't had much time to rest up, but I need you to find them, and help them win!"

"You can count on me!"

* * *

 **Back with Kurome and Bols(Chelsea):**

"I see," I was continuing my act, better than I expected actually, "So it was all a trap."

Bols, "I think we're almost to a village now."

Kurome, "But there could be an ambush waiting for us."

"Yeah..." I then turned to Bols, and whispered to him, "Chelsea, what you were thinking was absolutely stupid...not brave."

"The commander should be coming back this way, eventually. Let's just play it safe until she..." Kurome collapsed.

"Kurome! What's wrong?!"

Bols, "Oh no, are you in pain, Kurome?!"

The girl was in serious pain, _"I guess I should've had more snacks."_

"Bols, go get help, now!"

Chelsea ran back—and when she was far enough that Kurome couldn't see, she took off the Bols disguise. "Tatsumi...you said I was stupid?!"

I was aiding Kurome as much as I could, "Maybe a charm might help..." when I heard a horrifically, familiar voice.

"GET OVER HERE!"

I caught a kunai, and saw that it was indeed Scorpion. I set Kurome down, against a tree, and turned to face him. However, he held up a half-burned Bols, much to my horror. "What did you do to him?!"

"He knew his retribution was coming...I simply gave it to him."

"You MONSTER!" I blindly lashed out at him, in pure rage.

However, Scorpion smacked me in the face, grabbed me by the shoulders, thrusted his knee into my chest twice, and did a hammer-fist into my back, causing me to slam down onto ground. "Gah-hah!" Honestly, that hurt, extremely bad. I actually coughed out a couple drops of blood.

Now with me out of the way, Scorpion made his way to Kurome. "Here is your charm, witless one..." He drew his kunai, and gouged Kurome in the neck. "TO HELL WITH YOU!"

I grabbed the ninja by the ankle, and tried to pull him down. "Bols...had a family...a wife...and daughter..." Tears were coming out of my eyes, "YOU SHOULD'VE KNOWN HOW HE FELT!"

"Back off!" He smacked me again; this time, I flew across to where Chelsea was headed(yes, it was that hard). "Quan Chi has need of your soul...later..."

Then—"Hey..."—Kurome got back up, and she had a demented grin on her face. "That charm just now...It's not working...It's very painful, and I'm suffering quite a lot."

"I was sure I struck a vital spot."

Kurome put another candy into her mouth, "A while after Big Sis left, they manufactured a new drug. A strong medicine that strengthens the body even more...On one hand, it's a bit strenuous. But surprisingly, even to me, it seems that if you want to kill me..." She drew **Yatsufusa** , "You'll have to at least do something like squash my heart or cut my head off."

"You have no idea what you are up against...You will not survive to see another day!"

Fight

Kurome slashed **Yatsufusa** twice at Scorpion, but her physical health was deteriorating fast. _"I can't move...this might be it for me. But...if that's the case, then while I'm still conscious, I'll kill this man...! He killed Bols!_ Natara, Doya! Slice him into pieces!" Obviously, they did what she said, and sliced off Scorpion's right arm, left leg, and shot him in the chest.

Kurome Wins

Natara then proceeded to cut off the Ninja's head. Unfortunately—Unbeknownst to Kurome—that was not enough to destroy Scorpion at all.

* * *

 **Where I was:**

My Edenian half-blood genes allowed me to recover faster, but I was still weak from Scorpion's attack. "Dammit...I lost my head back there..."

Then, Chelsea and Akame both came across each other—and me. "Tatsumi!" They said in unison. They both rushed up to aid me by supporting my body with their shoulders.

Chelsea, "And you called me 'Stupid'?!"

Akame, "Just be glad he's okay, Chelsea...both of you are."

Me, "Scorpion's back!"

Their faces were filled with shock at what I just said.

* * *

 _ **Yeah, I originally intended for four fights, with Scorpion being the last. But I didn't see how they would all fit into the same timeframe.**_

 _ **Next Chapter is Lubbock, who has moves similar to Takeda from "Mortal Kombat X". He'll be fighting Sten and Mez from the four Rahksha Demons. Send me your idea of how the fights would go.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	24. Chapter 24: Lubbock 1

**Kill the Demons Part 1: Lubbock 1(W/ Akame)**

Chelsea asked me why I came to help her. My reply, "What kind of question is that? We're friends and teammates, Chelsea. Of course I came to help you."

She blushed, again, "I...see..."

* * *

 **Day of the mission:**

We spread out to cover more ground: Lubbock and Ieysayu; Sayo, Leone and **Su** , Akame could handle herself, Sheele and Chelsea, and of course Mine and I. "Hey, Tatsumi, are you gonna sleep all day?!"

"No, I'm up!" I came outside to the others, "Sorry, you guys; overslept." I then proceeded to slip my coat on.

Mine, "It's time to infiltrate the Path of Peace headquarters...get it together!"

"I know. After we clear out the filth in Kirouku, that's when the revolutionary army will make its move. _There's no time to dwell on the past right now, I have to overthrow this disgusting empire...this madness must be stopped at the source."_

* * *

 **Path of Peace headquarters; Kirouku:**

The remaining five Jaegers were seeing Bolic. Esdeath was speaking with him, "We have direct orders from Minister Honest; the Jaeger's special police force is here to ensure your safety."

The scumbag, Bolic, had drugged, innocent girls surrounding him, "My, my; who would've guessed he'd send the one and only, all-powerful General Esdeath of all people to look after this current estate? I must tell you, I've never felt safer in my life."

"We've received reports stating that Night Raid is already in the city; we'll need to use your guest rooms until the hunt is over."

"It's my pleasure." Bolic scoffed, "I think you'll find our hospitality quite satisfying."

Seryu had serious doubts in her mind, _"Hospitality my ass! This guy is another criminal working for Shinnok, whether he's aware of it or not!"_

Esdeath pointed out something the others didn't notice. "I have no interest in playing with your pets...but...as for those spies watching my team since we walked in; I'd love to meet them."

"Oh...well played. I should've expected you'd notice." Bolic snapped his fingers, calling upon four people who jumped down from the ceiling.

Wave, "Who are those guys?"

"I borrowed these highly disturbed individuals from the imperial fist's temple to keep this religion under my control. Say hello to the 'Four Rahkshasa Demons'."

Esdeath, "Oh! So that's why I hadn't seen them in the capital, I wondered where they went."

"It actually works out nicely; they usually work as my bodyguards, but since you're here, I can put them on the offensive, and let them handle those assassins for you."

Seryu, "Wait a second...how can they go against Night Raid without **Imperial Arms**?!"

One of them, Ibara, appeared right behind her, with his flat hand near the back of her neck;He was a large man with a muscled build, wearing shorts similar to that of a Muay Thai Combatant. He had strange markings around the top of his head which resemble stitches. His hair was long and braided into two long strands at the bottom, with long bangs framing each side his face. His eyes were abnormal, with fully black sclera. There were dark markings or tattoos visible on his face and body. "Oh, don't worry your pretty little head..."

 _"Is this creep hitting on me?!"_

"Taking out **Imperial Arms** users just happens to be our specialty." He licked his lips, "It's what I live for."

A female member, Suzuka—Suzuka wears clothes similar to those of a shrine maidens, with a loose kimono shirt exposing her cleavage held by a single breast guard on her right breast. She has black hair and a scar on her face—also spoke, before the last two. "No matter how unbeatable an **Imperial Arms** might seem..."

Shuten—a large man with a heavily muscled build, similar to Ibara, he had a long braided hairstyle, with hair sticking far out at the sides, and bald at the top of his head. He had a long bushy beard and mustache, bushy eyebrows, and dark prominent circles around his eyes. Similar to his fellow Rakshasa Demons, he wore armor plating on his forearms(I forgot to mention). He also wore a large Iron pauldron on his left shoulder—"You can't escape the fact the wielders are only flesh and blood underneath."

Mez—she was a short girl with a petite build. Her hair was blonde and styled in pigtails decorated with horseshoes that also served as weights. She had green eyes and her skin was considerably tanned. She wore long leggings and a shirt, which she left open, displaying a bikini/swimsuit top—"So like, there's a million different ways to defeat one, y'know!"

Bolic, "These four just happen to be the minister's personal executioners, and, as their name implies, they're good at it."

Ibara, "He ain't lyin'...we can handle this...so just sit back, relax, have a few cocktails..."

Esdeath created a long, giant icicle and pointed it at the man's back, "While it may be true that you've built up an impressive résumé, you shouldn't let your guard down."

The latter simply laughed, "OOh, so sinister! You're givin' me chills, General Esdeath...I think I'm fallin' for ya'."

She dissipated the icicle, _"That's strange! If the minister's favorite pawns already had it under control, why did he choose to send us? This religious group must mean a lot more to him than I thought."_

Wave noticed that Kurome was panting heavily—the previous night, he found her unconscious next to Scorpion's mutilated body, in the rain. Even worse, he found the burnt corpse of Bols in the same area. Ran said that he knew how my Jaeger equivalent felt. They brought Kurome to bed, held a funeral for Bols, and Esdeath dissected Scorpion's body—but he had no answers in his body as to his identity, other than he was an assassin. Seryu asked for permission from the Ice Queen to feed the remains of the ninja to **Coro**. One would think that dismemberment would be the end of it, but raw power, alone, is not even close to enough to destroy Scorpion at all; his demonic soul was forging a new body in the Netherrealm—Ran noticed. "Wave, is something wrong?"

The Dark blue-haired man was snapped out of his thoughts, "Huh?! Uh, no!" Nothing could be further from the truth; he was deeply worried about Kurome. He actually comforted her as she told him about her former assassin group.

* * *

 **Downtown Kirouku; With Mine and I:**

"Good news; we're pretty far away from the capital, so we probably don't need to worry about wanted posters. Bad news; the Jaegers might be posting some as we speak." We were on patrol, but it also had a second purpose—unbeknownst to Mine at the time, this was also, pretty much, a date.

I went to get us ice cream, causing Mine to flip. "Let's try to be caref...ARE YOU FREAKIN' SERIOUS?! You couldn't even let me get the words out of my mouth!"

"Look, I understand what you're saying...but isn't there such a thing as being 'Too careful'? The enemy might notice if we start acting all jumpy, so we hafta be natural."

 _"He was scared that Chelsea would've gotten killed...but now, here he is; taking the assignment with a brave face. Hmph! He's matured!"_ She took the second ice cream, "Whatever, I guess you do kinda have a point!" When she tasted it, "Ah! Wow, this is really good!"

"Yep, you can't get ice cream this good just anywhere." I couldn't help but smile and then blush, "Besides, there's a reason I requested being paired with you. I'll tell you about it later, though." I wanted to wait for a certain something, before I busted a move.

* * *

Lubbock and Ieysayu were handling the danger zone, right outside the cathedral.

Ieysayu, "Geez! This place is a maze!"

The green-haired man replied, "At least it's fairly easy to get lost in the crowd and feel things out."

"Yeah...luckily, the empire doesn't know our faces or names."

"And the more info I, alone, can bring back, the more points I can score with Najenda."

"Really, Lub?!"

Lubbock had a perverted smile on his face, while chortling.

Unbeknownst to those two, Shuten and Mez were spying on them; they could see right through the perverts' disguises. "Hey, Shuten...those guys down there totally look like they're sniffing around. My intuition tells me 'They've got to be enemies for sure!'."

"The way they're moving is a dead giveaway. They carry themselves as if they've already seen a lot of action. They probably think they're being cautious, but they can't hide it from me."

"Meaning they're guilty!" She had a seductive quirk on her face by putting her finger on her chin. "Are you ready to kill them, then?"

"Don't call it that...please...I like to think of it as freeing their spirits."

* * *

 **Cemetery; Late at night:**

Akame was with two of the revolutionary army's spies. "Based on our observations, we believe there's an underground path near this cemetery that passes through Bolic's mansion, to the cathedral."

At the same time, Akame was enjoying what looked like a chicken leg. "So if we found the entrance to the tunnel, we could easily slip into Bolic's basement."

"It'll take a while to find it, since there is quite a lot of land to cover."

"We should also bear in mind that it might be full of traps."

Suddenly, Akame heard the spies' heads being sliced off, as well as a sadistic laugh. "Well, well, well...did you think no one notice you were here...Akame."

She knew the man from her past, "Ibara...so you're in Kirouku too."

"Oh, you mean you remember me...I'm touched, it's not like we really knew each other back on the assassination squad."

"I knew we'd see the Four Rahkshasa Demons by going for the minister...but I wasn't expecting this until the _final_ battle."

Ibara let out another chuckle, "Such a naughty girl for betraying the empire, I'm kinda honored to be the one to punish you." He let the severed heads in his hand go, where they rolled to Akame.

"I don't think so!"

Fight

Akame charged at him with lightning fast speed, but Ibara was equally as fast when it came to reflexes. "Oh really?!" He extended his fingers—literally—to try and strike Akame. However, the red-eyed girl somersaulted over him and tried to slash him with **Murasame**. Unfortunately, he arched his body backwards, which made the poisoned blade miss completely. Ibara then used his body hair to turn himself into a human porcupine; Akame barely managed to dodge. "On top of all our training, we were given another little advantage; we drink a special broth made from mountain lake krakens living near the temple. It lets me do some unusual things with my body." He then unleashed a barrage of punches at Akame, by extending his arms, left-right-left-right, which did significant damage to her, even when she was blocking. "That is one freaky weapon of yours! **Murasame** is the perfect sword for damaged goods like you!" The last punches tore through Akame's clothes, "Come on, come on; I know you can move faster than that, little lady!" Akame saw an opportunity, and tried to slash Ibara, but he easily caught the blade with only his bare hands. "It's too bad you left before completing your training..." He then snatched **Murasame** by yanking it out of Akame's hands, "THANKS! I'll be takin' that! Hehe!" However, the one-hit kill sword rejected him—"Uwa! What the hell's wrong with this thing?!"—allowing its true master to leap onto the man's shoulders, and use her knees to try and snap his neck, throwing the sword far behind him, where she leapt to afterwards. Ibara's head was twisted to the back, but he was still very much alive.

Akame Wins

"Don't tell me...you planned all this from the beginning and actually let me take your weapon from you!"

Akame drew **Murasame** from the ground, "The answer was clear, as soon as you couldn't understand **Murasame**...there was no way it would bond with you."

The Rahkshasa Demon twisted his head back into place. "Argh-Ah! Damn you! You little biiitch!"

Akame slashed off both of Ibara's arms, and in half at the waist. "Looks like my cursed blade didn't take a liking to you." Ibara was slowly succumbing to his wounds when his parts hit the ground. Akame resheathed her sword, "It may have something to do with your winning personality."

The dismembered man coughed before speaking his final words, "You're a pretty messed-up chick, aren't you? Careful, I think I might be fallin' in love...I'm kinda into that sort of thing."

Then, feathers flew right at Akame. Ran was now there. "Surprise attacks don't work on you, I see."

"A Jaeger, I presume!"

"Yes! Now I know Akame af Night Raid is in the city. Handling recon is my job; I was watching you fight, so I just learned a great deal about **Murasame**." He flew off without engaging her, luckily.

"The Four Demons and the Jaegers...I hope...everyone's okay."

* * *

 **With Lubbock and Ieysayu:**

The two guys were being chased by Shuten and Mez. "Crap! They just came at us out of nowhere!"

Ieysayu, "How did we blow our cover?!"

Shuten, "Hehehe! Come back and fight like men, cowards!"

The Rahksha Demon launched himself at Lubbock, knocking the guy out of the air. "Guaah!"

Ieysayu was alarmed, "LUBBOCK!"

Shuten was standing above the green-haired man, "Uh-oh! You dead already?! Well, you're no fun."

Ieysayu charged at him in rage, "You BASTARD!" He blindly threw **Belvaak** —like a boomerang—at Shuten, but ended up missing, and leaving himself open to be launched backwards into a wall by another punch from Mez. "In the end, you two were just insignificant little pests, not even worth my time. Ah well."

Then, Mez blurted out something while rushing to him, "Hey, Shuten! There's another one headed your way, and it looks like she's a revolutionary spy, too!"

Lubbock stopped playing dead, and thought to himself, _"Uh-oh...bet that's the girl we were supposed to meet up with...sorry, babe, you're on your own. Well, if she's a spy, she should be prepared for stuff like this."_

Shuten towered over the spy, "Well now, another poor lamb lost in this frightening world." She was terrified by the huge man, "I'd be happy to help you out, and free your spirit for you. You should be thanking me."

He grabbed the girl by the neck, but instantly released when he was struck in the back by **Belvaak** ; Ieysayu recovered, and started attacking, "Like hell you will!"

Ieysayu pulled the axe out, and Lubbock threw a knife at the larger man, only for the latter to catch it in between his fingers. "Nope, we can't do it...we won't let you kill an ally..."

"Especially a hottie like that!"

Shuten, "I checked you; you didn't have a pulse!"

Mez, "That was dumb! If you had stayed still, we would've had like no idea!"

Lubbock, "Here's the thing; because of the role I play on the team, I usually avoid as many head-on confrontations as possible. But...when push comes to shove, I don't play around...and I don't hold back."

Ieysayu had a grin on his face, "Double-whammy!"

"You're on!" The two busted out their **Imperial Arms**. "We'll kick both of your asses at the same time!"

Fight

Lubbock lashed out with a new trick that I taught him—based on Takeda's blade whips—called "Cross-whips"(EX version: Whip Flurry)where he struck Shuten multiple times in the chest and face. He then threw a "String Spear" at the latter, but it was blocked. However, Lubbock responded, by sending his strings fly everywhere. Then, Shuten did a move of his own—"Allow me to release your soul. 'Kouken temple hundred-blazing fist!"—only for Lubbock to block with a wall made of string. The green-haired man took it down, and used his strings to swing at Shuten and kick him in the face. He then jumped into the air, and created a pole and attached an axe head on it, which he swung down onto the Rahkshasa Demon's back(Wire Impact). Lubbock ended the brawl with an X-Ray Move; Descending down from the air and stunning the man with a Cross-whip, Lubbock launched his sharpest string, " _Realm Slicer_ ", through his opponent's mouth, the tip breaking through the back of the skull, then reeled himself over by retracting his string, dashed behind the large man while wrapping his string around Shuten's neck before kicking his spine, shattering it and his rib cage, dropping him onto his back. Lubbock then delivered an axe kick to the Rahshasa's face, caving in the majority of his skull.

"Is it really alright!? For you to charge at me like that? **Crosstail** 's strings are made from the body hair of a danger beast that lives in the clouds of the east. The hairs that protect its vital spots are especially stiff and rigid. The strings made from those sections are incredibly sharp...Thus earning the name, 'Realm Slicer Strong.' It's my best one. Even you wouldn't be able to cut it." Shuten tried anyway, by using his beard the same way. It didn't work. "You're finished!"

"FINISH HIM!"

Lubbock formed two spears using his strings, then threw one into the heart, separated the strings inside, and crushed the organ, and the other pinned the head to the wall with enough force to pop it off the body.

Lubbock Wins-Fatality

"It doesn't matter how tough your body is. From the moment that you were stabbed in the chest by Crosstail, the strings headed straight for your heart. That part of your body wasn't so tough."

* * *

 _ **That's two Rahkshasa Demons down, one left to die. I'm going by the Manga, and Dubbed version of the Anime. Yes, Lubbock has Takeda's X-Ray Move; but it's called "Realm Slicer" instead of "Air Whiplash", and Lubbock doesn't say anything after finishing. Plus, Lubbock kinda already has Takeda's signature whip moves, because of Crosstail.**_

 _ **Anyway; The next chapter, Lubbock will fight/kill Mez, and Tatsumi will fight Suzuka. The following chapter, Seryu will fight Scorpion(Yes, he's still alive), Liu Kang, and Noob Saibot(Boss). Please send me your ideas for the battles. Try thinking of this story as an actual fighting game, and the moves you list in your reviews/messages are the commands you input.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	25. Chapter 25: Lubbock 1

**Kill the Demons Part 2: Lubbock 1(Part 2)**

"Waaah! Oof!" Ieysayu was thrown into the wall again.

Mez, the one who threw my childhood friend, turned to Lubbock, who had just killed Shuten. "Oh...That was cool!"

Lubbock was dumbfounded, "Huh?!"

"You just killed Shuten...the minister's gonna yell at me for like ever!"

"Nah...You won't hafta worry about that..." Lubbock prepared **Crosstail** again, "Sorry about this, but you've seen my weapons, so there's no way I can let you live."

"Aww, don't be sorry, I'm an assassin too, I totally get it." She took off the horseshoes she wore.

Mez started sweating; not out of fear, this sweating was manipulated—It actually didn't seem like sweat at all. She threw this rather thick sweat at Lubbock's defense wires. _"What's all that liquid?"_ The sweat was compromising the strings. _"Crap, it's weighing down my strings! The barrier's ruined!"_

"It's my body oil; more like sweat really. The Rahkshasa Demons are experts at doing wierd stuff with our bodies...so yeah, that's what happened to your little web-thingy."

Lubbock threw a spear at Mez, but the Rahkshasa Demon's speed was unreal. "...Ugh! She's fast!" She punched him in the diaphragm, knocking him back; the punch was also so hard, that he coughed up blood. "Gou-Ghah!" The guy was left gasping for air, "Can't move! If I take one more hit...I'm a dead man!"

Lubbock threw two throwing knives at the Rahkshasa Demon, but they slipped right past her. "Aw! Don't do that!" The latter said in a disappointed tone, "It's so desperate."

Mez grabbed and lifted Lubbock by the shirt, yet he did what he typically did towards women; flirt(while still coughing), "Damn...you sure are pretty...if things were different, I would totally ask you out."

The tan girl simply laughed at this, "And you're just the kind of guy who likes I probably would've been interested in! But, oh well! Maybe in another life!" Her fist charged with black energy; she was about to kill him, "Good night!"

Then, as if by luck, the throwing knives came right back, and stabbed her in the back(literally); causing her to fall and drop Lubbock. "I kinda used my strings to grab those knives from earlier." He retracted them, "Then, I just bided my time for the right moment to rewind it back in, and...well, you noticed." He stabbed Mez again—this time, in the spine, killing her. "Sorry."

Ieysayu recovered, "Ugh! That hurt!" He then saw the dead body of Mez as Lubbock manually closed her eyes. "Guess we should get outta here." The two began walking away, but turned back to look at the dead girl one last time. "Aw man, it's not fair!"

"Yeah, this always happens to us! Why?! The one time a girl actually liked me!"

* * *

 **Outer skirts:**

Mine and I were continuing our patrol/date. "Agh! We've covered a lot of ground today. But we still need to check all the backstreets and byroads and everything else."

"This city's way too big!"

"Yeah, but that's why we're searching it."

"*Sigh* This'd be a heck of a lot more fun if we included some shopping!"

"Yeah, one of the reasons I suggested Ieysayu being teamed with Lub instead of us was because he actually would complain."

She slanted her head back and grinned, "If a man can't appreciate a lady's retail needs, it adds poor character!"

I did the same action and smirked, "I think women always have an agreeable reason for such things."

She got angry for...ah...she'll say it, "Are you sure you do?! Cause I think you're fibbing!"

Then, a deus ex machina moment; from the founder and leader of the Path of Peace, "Please, cease this foundless quarry!"

Me, "Oh, sorry sir."

"Apologies; I know it's none of my business, but I simply could not help but intervene."

Mine, "By any chance, are you wiith..."

"He's in the Path of Peace."

He raised his hand a little, "I am...in sooth, I am the founding lord. On occasion, I make a sojourn to the city!" He spread his arms, "I have had a vision; I see you two joined by the red string of fate; cast off your differences and confess your love!"

Mine had a deadpanned look on her face. However, I had a down look on my face; I wasn't quite ready to confess yet.

"Upon farming your path, the occasional, healthy disagreement can be quite beneficial!"

* * *

 _ **Hope you see the differences in the development in the relationship of Tatsumi and Mine's romance.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	26. Chapter 26

**Kill the Fate Part 1(Tatsumi's Confession)**

Seryu was in serious doubts; she despised Bolic because of the way he treated the female members of the Path of Peace, and yet she and the other Jaegers were guarding him. _"I wish Night Raid would just kill him already...wait...did I just think that?!"_

Esdeath noticed, and was concerned. "What's wrong, Seryu? You've got such a serious face on."

"Captain...That Bolic guy is vulgar, and he's gone too far! I was wondering if it was even worth it for you to be guarding him...!"

"He's bait to draw out the enemy, Night Raid. You can just think of him as such."

The auburn girl remained silent, even while kids were playing with **Coro** as if it was a ball.

"You're too tense. Even when you're on a mission, you should try acting a little livelier."

"But...Just what should I do?"

"Let's see, you can try..." Then the blue-haired woman saw the children chasing **Coro** , "Hey, children. Apparently, the owner of that dog wants to play too."

Much to Seryu's surprise. "C-Captain!?"

Esdeath held the former imperial police officer's chin, "It just happens to be break time now. Some entertainment once in a while isn't bad, you know."

* * *

 **Meanwhile; Inside the Path of Peace headquarters:**

Bolic was discussing business with one of 'THE' most disgusting criminals in the future, Kano. How the Black Dragon got there, I have absolutely no idea.

Kano, "Y'see, Bolic, I know exactly where the revolutionary army's base is; but Night Raid is clever! They'd know when they've been discovered, and immediately relocate to a new spot...It's a professional assassin method of avoiding getting caught."

"Ah yes...it seems that we can deal with the majority of the rebels, but Night Raid constantly alludes us still. You're a very brilliant business partner, Kano; you know exactly how they think...that's why you were hired."

"Keep in mind, I'm in it for the money. No money, no service!"

"Which is why the minister is tripling the last reward."

* * *

Seryu had been playing ball with the kids for a while; they began to see her as an older sister figure. The auburn-haired girl seemed to enjoy it.

"Here!"

"There!"

"Big sis!"

Seryu, "Alright! _If I see Night Raiders, I'll need to inform them about the location of the underground tunnel...Well, look at_ that...Okay! Next round! Let's have fun without any cheating!... _I'm_ _starting to take after your influence, Tatsumi...it's the opposite of what I used to see; everything I knew about the empire...is wrong!_ _...Hmph...I guess Night Raid isn't evil after all..."_

Wave and Suzuka—the last, surviving Rahkshasa Demon—were watching Seryu play with the children. The latter was the first to speak, "The ulterior motive is so obvious. She should tone it down."

Wave, "Yeah, she's been stressed for quite awhile, so Esdeath told her she should try a little change of pace. By the way, you've been hanging around a lot lately. Have you decided to join us or what?"

"Hmm, I guess we're...partners. Whatever it takes to get General Esdeath to put me in my place."

Wave was getting uncomfortable around the woman when she gave a rather creepy chuckle, _"Not sure why, but something about this girl reminds me of Dr. Stylish."_

* * *

 **Later; back in town:**

Suzuka and Seryu were standing on top of the Cathedral, looking for us, though for different reasons; Seryu had really begun to change her twisted ways, and was concerned. Suzuka had the standard reason. "If Night Raid plans to strike, it'll be today...but that goes without saying, doesn't it, Seryu?"

"Suzuka, do not let them into the cathedral, okay. _At least, not through the surface entrances."_

"Yeah, I know..." Then, Suzuka spotted me and Mine—we were in disguise; you couldn't even recognize the pinkette. "That girl's got combat experience; I can tell by those eyes and the way she walks."

The guards that were sent to pursue us we were forced to hide in a nearby alley. "Damn...didn't take em very long to spot us."

We rushed to the outskirts of town again. "They won't chase us all the way out here."

"Yeah...well, we had to get out of the city. I hope we created a good enough distraction."

"All we can do now is cross our fingers and pray the Boss and everyone else pulls through." Mine was wiping makeup off her face, "It feels like I still have makeup all over me." She came rather close to my face, "Did I get it all off?"

My face was starting to turn red, and my heart was racing, "Uhhh...y-yeah...yeah, I think so!"

"Why're you getting all red?" Then her face got red, and she quickly backed away, "You're not taking all that string of fate crap seriously, are you?!"

"Wellll..." My heart felt like it was going to burst out of my chest any second. I had to come clean, and confess. I first took a deep breath, then I spoke, "Actually...I uh...Honestly, ever since I first joined...I've been trying to show..." I decided to say it fast, and get it over with, "...that I really do like you!" Out of all the actions I could've taken afterward, I fainted. Apparently, just saying it took all the strength I had. _"I finally said it...but...does she believe me?"_

* * *

 _ **Tatsumi was the first to confess his feelings, but things might not go so well because of him fainting. Just wait and see. You'll actually see what Seryu thinks of it in the next chapter; yeah, sorry for those who hate her, but she still has a role to play in the story later on.**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	27. Chapter 27: Tatsumi 9

**Kill the Fate Part 2: Tatsumi 9**

Seryu was right behind me, the moment I fainted. Cue surprise scare.

Mine screamed, "Whaaaaah!"

"Uh...hi..." Seryu nervously smiled and waved her hand; she recognized Mine already.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE, BITCH!"

Seryu knew exactly what Mine meant; when the pinkette called her that, "Yeah...I'm sorry...about...that night."

Mine couldn't help but growl.

Then, the auburn looked down at me, "What happened to him?"

"Well...the previous night, we were visited by the founder and leader of the Path of Peace; the man said we were bound together by a 'red string of fate' or something...I think Tatsumi believed him."

"Awww! How romantic!"

Mine deadpanned, "I think he took it way too seriously...Agh! Wait! Don't change the subject!"

Up on the cliffs above us, Noob Saibot was spying on us, along with Smoke, Scorpion, and Suzuka.

Scorpion, "That woman is from Night Raid!"

Suzuka, "Oh, looks like I hit the jackpot."

Noob Saibot, "It seems as though Seryu has become too friendly with Night Raid...Suzuka, relay the information of one of Night Raid's members being spotted back to Esdeath."

"One?"

"Tatsumi must be taken alive...and Seryu...is expendable...it will be written off as 'Killed in action'."

* * *

 **Later:**

When I came to, Seryu—willingly—gave us useful info. She also agreed to keep the meeting a secret. Mine didn't quite trust her. On the other hand, I was mixed; for one thing, it could've been a trap. Yet, at the same time, something in her voice was saying to me that she was telling the truth.

Of course, Seryu was being ambushed by Scorpion. "GET OVER HERE!" She never saw it coming; she was impaled and reeled back to him by his kunai.

She was terrified to see him, "It can't be...you're dead!"

"I was never alive..." The hellish ninja launched her away with a blast of hellfire. "TO HELL WITH YOU!"

* * *

It wasn't long before Scorpion started to come after us. I already sensed him. Mine actually smelled him. "Is something burning?" That was when he unleashed numerous fireballs at us.

I immediately activated **Incursio** , and grabbed Mine while running away. "That was sulfur! Only one man smells of that stuff; Scorpion!"

The yellow bastard kept firing at us, "More incoming, Tatsumi!"

* * *

When we reached a certain point, "He stopped firing...are we outside his range...?" Mine reached inside **Pumpkin** 's case, and took out the scope, "Are we being followed? Are there other enemies...?" She then spotted Suzuka, "There's one running away! That appearance...She's the last Rahkshasa Demon."

"Suzuka, right? She must be getting reinforcements! _All the others are busy. We're in no position to call for reinforcements."_ Then, there was groaning. What I turned to see was a badly injured Seryu, struggling to pull herself up. "Oh, god..."

"Seryu?!"

She struggled to tell us what happened, "H-He came out of n-nowhere...so...fast..." The auburn girl passed out into a comatose state. **Coro** let out a whimper.

 _"Dammit!_ Mine, watch over her...I'll go after Suzuka."

* * *

I was in a serious clash against Suzuka; Then again, the last one is always the hardest to beat. She extended her fingernails at me, as weapons. "Hah!"

I had to endure the painful injuries she inflicted on me. "Agh!...Dammit...! I forgot about the 'Gimmicky body'!" I pole-vaulted over her, using _Neuntote_ as the pole. "Why, You!"

The Rahkshasa Demon threw me out of the air by simply tilting the spear. "Hoi!"

My body slammed into the ground hard, "Guah!" Even with **Incursio** , it hurt like crap.

Suzuka had a sing-song tone of voice, "You broke my nail."

As I was getting back up, "Why do women like you always complain about something as minor as breaking a fingernail, Suzuka?"

She changed the subject on me, "I was surprised that someone was able to defeat Mez, let alone Ibara...but it doesn't look like it was you. Yet it does seem like you've been up against formidable enemies before...the way you seem to be studying me...biding your time to find an opening."

* * *

We continued exchanging attacks until we were inside an ancient building, "Why did you run into the ruins? Are you going to hide using your invisibility, like when you first attacked me? Sorry, but it's useless." Suzuka continued to taunt me.

However, my response came after I put the spear away. "That's not even close..." The Rahkshasa Demon looked surprised. "If it's a battle with our own skills...Then I'd prefer a genuine arena to do it in."

Fight

I threw _Neuntote_ at Suzuka, but she easily dodged it, and shot her fingernails straight at me. I got up close, tackled her, and used my pistols to shoot her five times. Suzuka low kicked me, and chained a high kick. I grabbed a broken pillar, and threw it at her, causing enough hit stun for me to land three combos on her.

Tatsumi Wins

* * *

 ** _Not much going on in this chapter, honestly. In the reviews, give a list of moves used in the fights, by both fighters. Seryu's almost complete moveset is posted(The only thing missing is an X-Ray Move)in my profile. You pretty much know the moves of Scorpion(Hellfire Variation), Smoke, and Noob Saibot, if you play "Mortal Kombat"._**

 ** _Also, a_** ** _fter considering that Chelsea and Sheele are both still alive, and the fact that Mine officially starts to like after "Saving her in Kyroku", I decided to keep Seryu's death scene in this, but for a different reason, and a different assailant. I know there are Seryu haters who want her to die, but that won't be the end of her._**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	28. Chapter 28: Seryu Ubiquitous

**Kill the Fate Part 3: Seryu Ubiquitous**

"Hold still."

Seryu was being treated for her injuries on the spot; I told everyone to take a first-aid kit with them after fighting against the first three Rahkshasa Demons. "Gaaaagh!" Yeah, you'd better believe it; Mine was treating Seryu. Then the auburn girl spotted someone; or rather, someone spotted them.

"Rrraaaagghh!" Scorpion appeared again, even more pissed off than before. "TO HELL WITH YOU!"

Mine started quivering in fear, "Y-Y-You were there when we..."

"Assassinated Iokal and his guards...I remember."

Seryu was also pissed off, "Hey! Demon!"

It definitely got his attention, "You were already a target, Seryu Ubiquitous...And my targets NEVER LIVE FOR LONG!"

Fight

Seryu tried a punch on Scorpion, but the latter ducked, then countered with an uppercut, and reeled her back in four times with his kunai; three of them were chained with more uppercuts, and the last one with a fireball. The former garrison member did a leap and kicked the ninja upwards into the air, by the jaw. Once he recovered, Scorpion summoned the fires of Hell to burn the Jaeger from underneath. She recovered and did a headbutt on the ninja, and chained it with her "Justice Execution". She finished the fight with an X-Ray Move; Seryu created a burst of light in front of Scorpion's eyes, by shooting two of her bullets(one from each arm)into each other, blinding him and causing him to kneel down. Seryu then slammed her fist on top of the ninja's skull, breaking it. She then slammed him in the side of the face with her open hand, breaking the jaw and skull even more. She finished the combo by throwing **Coro** into Scorpion's face for a powerful headbutt, downright shattering the skull.

Seryu Ubiquitous Wins

"Why don't you go back to Hell, you bastard."

Right as Seryu was about to walk away, Scorpion teleported in front of her. He would've seriously injured her, if Mine hadn't shot him with a powerful blast from **Pumpkin**. "UUURAAAAAAGGH!"

"I owe you."

"No, you don't. I just felt like being nice."

Then, the other two undead ninjas showed up out of nowhere. "You will not survive...to see another day...Ms. Ubiquitous."

Smoke, "Your doom is inevitable."

Seryu, "Says who?!"

"I am called Smoke...And you must die!"

Fight

Seryu blocked Smoke's attacks, and managed to trump over him with her mid-range weapons. There was a smokey fog surrounding them, so no one could actually see what was going on.

Seryu Ubiquitous Wins-Flawless Victory

"Not today, Smokey."

A shadow clone appeared behind Seryu, and attacked her, while the real Noob Saibot was fighting against Mine. "And what's your name?"

"My true name is 'Bi Han', but I am called 'Noob Saibot', now."

Noob Saibot pummeled Mine, hard. It caused the bows on her hair to come undone, and knock her flat onto the ground. _"Oh...this reminds me of when..."_ The pinkette was reminded of her past by this, _"Every time I was picked on because I was a half-blood foreigner...I was left with wounds all over my body...and looked up at the sky just like this. That's when I...understood that no one would help me...only I can help myself...and in the future...I can make up for all my misfortunes...and change the world into a place where the is no irrational discrimination. And that's why...there's no way in Hell..that I can die here!"_

Then, Seryu stopped fighting the shadow clone, and tackled the real one—which caused the clone to disappear—"So, you're Bi Han; the original Sub-Zero!"

"It has been a long time since I have worn those colors."

"Tell me...Why do you serve the side of evil?"

"I only 'serve' them. My true allegiance...is to myself."

Fight

Seryu lunged at the black ninja, but Noob teleported to the other side and punched the auburn girl from behind. Seryu exchanged her arm for the **Sung Dynasty Blade** , and slashed at Saibot multiple times. Noob Saibot grabbed his opponent by the shoulders, then summoned his shadow twin from behind. The shadow twin pulled Seryu into the ground, and pummeled her, while Noob himself laughed evilly. Seryu got three lucky combos on him, in a juggle. Then, she used the **Enma's Spear of Justice** on him, knocking the black ninja back, and dealing massive damage. The jaeger used her Justice Execution on him, then finished the battle with an X-Ray move.

Seryu Ubiquitous Wins

"I wish I could help you... **Coro** , **Berserker**!"

 **Coro** was about to activate his **Trump Card** when the unexpected, and terrible happened; By surprise, Scorpion sliced off all of Seryu's limbs with a katana, after she already witnessed him blasting **Coro** apart—and thought Mine had blasted the hellish ninja to smithereens. "Your **Imperial Arms** can no longer regenerate...However, as long as my vengeance continues to burn..." The yellow ninja stomped on the dismembered girl, "I will never stop pursuing my targets!"

Scorpion stomped on Seryu three more times, and threw a kunai into her chest, causing her to cough up an enormous amount of blood. However, Seryu wasn't dead yet. "Justice...no...good never loses! I have one last weapon!"

He seemed to mock her, "As if that matters."

Then, a click sound, followed by Seryu weakly saying, " **Judgement of the Ten Kings**... **Final Number** ;... **Chakravartin**... **Furnace**... **of Five**... **Hells**." The dying girl then looked to Mine, "Run...Mine." Without hesitation, the pinkette did as she was told.

Scorpion, "What is this?"

"My last resort...given to me by Doctor." With only her teeth, she clamped onto the chain, preventing the ninja from escaping.

"A suicide bomb?!" The yellow ninja then remembered the damage Noob Saibot had already done to Mine, "With her injuries, running away is useless! She should have just cowered in fear!"

Even with her mouth full, Seryu continued to speak, "The brave...never cower!" What was left of her **Imperial Arms** crawled to her side. _"... **Coro**...so it's true, you can't regen anymore."_ Seryu looked up into the sky, _"Daddy...it looks like I'll be joining you soon..."_ Then Esdeath popped into her head, _"...Captain...Esdeath...I didn't wanna die in a place like this...but, my real duty...is to protect the innocent."_ Her last thought was of me, _"I realized my mistakes...Tatsumi...thanks."_

The blast didn't end Scorpion, but it did leave his soul crippled for a while. "UUURAAAAAAGGH!"

* * *

Not too far away, Mine was still in shock from Seryu's act of courage; it looked like she was trying to save the pinkette. _"Dammit! Is there really nothing I can do?!"_ Mine felt helpless to do anything; she had just tripped on a rock, and the fall twisted her ankle, and caused her to drop **Pumpkin**. "Ugh! _Shit...my foot...you've gotta be kidding me...!"_ Mine struggled to get back up, _"I'm going to survive and be on the winning side! Why should I...in a place like this..."_ Then, all of Night Raids surviving members came into her head, including me, _"Humph, why are you all coming into my head? You're all just...a bunch of misfits...Tatsumi...did you mean what you said Back there? Dammit!"_

Mine began losing all hope, and closed her eyes; waiting for the explosion to engulf her.

* * *

However, the pinkette opened her eyes to see that I carried her bridal style out of harm's way. "I was too weak for Bro...and I was too late for Seryu." **Incursio** deactivated, "But this time, I won't let anyone else die! Especially you!"

 _"Tatsumi...!"_

"Heheh. Looks like you're alright."

Mine was sniffling. "What about the Rahkshasa Demon?"

"It wasn't easy, but I managed to defeat her. She was strong, I won't exaggerate. Just to get her to stay down, I had to bring the ruins down on top of her; if it wasn't for **Incursio** , I wouldn't have survived being crushed under the rubble."

"You good-for-nothing brute."

I couldn't help but blush, "Yeah...but, I'm still in one piece! You said so earlier, right? That I should back you up if you're in danger. I always try my best to keep my word."

"...You...You make it sound like I owe you or something. Besides, your backing up was so last minute. But..." She turned her head to me again, and smiled with a blush, "But you really bailed me out there...I thought I was done for. Thanks."

My heart started beating faster again, "...Ye...Yeah...anytime..."

* * *

 ** _Yes, Seryu did that. She's not gone forever though. You'll see soon. Now—More importantly—Mine is starting to realize her feelings for Tatsumi—If you read the manga, that's pretty much how it started._**

 ** _Also, Scorpion is temporarily incapacited, and won't be fighting anyone for a while. Same with Smoke. Noob Saibot escaped again. He'll be back another day._**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**


	29. Chapter 29

**Kill the Trauma**

Some time had passed since Seryu's sacrifice—for those who don't know yet, when I failed to save someone their image would change into a revenant version of themselves until restored(they would return to their normal state and flip over)or killed(the image would become completely black)—and as usual, life went on. Akame woke up—"It's morning...I'm hungry."—to find Mine sleeping next to her, smiling. "Looks like she's having a good dream."

* * *

 **Later; Outside:**

Half of us were heading out to check out the town. "Well then, we'll be going now."

 **Su** gave Lubbock, Ieysayu, Sayo and I a warning, "Don't go near the cathedral. We've heard reports of heightened security there."

Ieysayu, "Yeah, we know."

Lubbock, "We can't even go near it without some kind of a plan, anyway."

The human **Imperial Arms** handed us boxes, "We made lunches for you."

Sayo was excited, "Oh!"

Me, "Thanks, **Su**."

 **Su** said something that was unsurprising, "Although, half has been eaten by Akame."

Even Ieysayu acknowledged it, "Gee, there's a shock."

Akame's mood seemed to turn gloomy, "...I'm really sorry. I was just going to take a bite, but...it was so delicious..."

I stopped her, "No, I'm thankful that there's still half of it left."

Then, Mine came through the door, "Oh. What are you up to, Tatsumi?"

Sayo answered, "We're headed out."

Me, "We're going to see how the town currently is."

Lubbock, "We'll investigate, and if possible, whittle down their forces. *Sigh* That's about all we can do until the underground tunnel is finished."

It seemed to peak her interest—she actually pushed Lubbock away, "Alright, then Tatsumi and I will go. Switch with me, Lub and Ieysayu."

"Wha!?"

Ieysayu, "Hey! He's my buddy!" Sayo pulled his ear.

Akame had concerns, "Don't push yourself too hard. Even though it's been a month, you're not completely recovered yet."

Mine reassured the red-eyed girl, "I've been focusing on getting better, so it's not a problem! Besides, we can't rely on just three guys and one girl. Humph! It'll be fine if I go instead." Yeah, my heart was racing again; Mine was going with me by HER request.

Lubbock, "Bfft! For the record, I defeated two Rahkshasa Demons..."

Mine turned and pushed him on the back, "Whatever, switch, switch!"

"Y-You're so pushy."

The pinkette grabbed my hand and started running away with me, "Come on! Let's go Tatsumi. Investigation!"

I replied in a nervous manner, "Uh, yeah...o-okay."

"...Mine...could it be that you..." No, Akame didn't think about the possibility of Mine liking me, "you really wanted to eat those lunches... _I know how you feel!"_

Lubbock whispered to Ieysayu, "She must be thinking of completely off..."

The latter's response, with a deadpan, "She must have regrets about those lunches..."

* * *

Later; Back inside:

"OW!" Lubbock and Ieysayu were having fresh bandages applied to their injuries, "Dammit, Tatsumi...is he going to seduce Mine next?"

Ieysayu, "Is he _seriously_ into Mine?! She doesn't even have descent-sized tits!"

 **Su** was the one who was applying said bandages, "It might have been good that you two didn't go. Your wounds aren't completely healed yet."

Lubbock groaned, "Ugh. Assassins' techniques are way too scary."

Ieysayu, "To think that our injuries wouldn't be healed after this long."

 **Su** , "Just be glad that they weren't life-threatening."

"But..." Lubbock really started complaining, "I can't stand how we're being nursed by a man! I, for one, thought that Ms. Najenda would say something like 'Why did you push yourself so hard, you idiot!'...and nurse me with tears in her eyes!"

Ieysayu, "I feel ya, man!"

 **Su** couldn't help but grin, "Looks like you probably wouldn't die even if you received life-threatening wounds."

Then, Lub kinda changed the subject, "...By the way, **Su**! Um...what do you think of Ms. Najenda?"

"She's a master worthy of respect."

Ieysayu, "Is that it? Are you freakin' serious?!"

"I'm serious...besides, I have no interest in women."

Both were shocked in unison, "What!?"

"Because I'm an **Imperial Arms**. I have no capacity for love."

Ieysayu, "Tha...That's what you meant!"

Lubbock, "*Sigh* That's a relief...!" Both of them put their clothes back on, "Well, isn't it contradictory that you have a heart but can't love?"

Ieysayu, "Could it be that you just haven't found someone you like?" That seemed to confuse **Su**.

Lubbock stood and gave the latter a thumbs-up, "The rest of us guys will help you find a perfect woman for you!"

 **Su** couldn't help but grin, "...I see. Sounds interesting."

* * *

 **Outskirts of Town:**

Mine and I were having our lunch sitting on logs, "A ruin was destroyed, but the city seems to be lively."

Mine, "If there's that much energy in the city, we should be able to stir a great rebellion."

Then, Mine seemed like she was staring off into space, which concerned me a bit, "Is something wrong?"

I expected her to still be upset about what happened to Seryu - what I got instead was this, "You...like the desert runner nuggets, right? That's all you've been eating." A blush was on her face.

"Um...yeah...sure...I guess."

She handed me her box, "Humph! Fine, then! I'll give you mine."

That surprised me, "Uh...sure. *sweatdrop* Thanks." I was curious, _"...What's with her? But still, I have to give **Su** credit. These nuggets are so good! No wonder Akame couldn't help herself. But seriously, what's going on in that head of her's? Is she still teasing me...or does she finally share the same feelings?"_

What Mine was thinking, _"He eats like a little kid. Yet, he's so mature."_

Then, the great lord came again, "Hello. We meet again."

"Gre...Great Lord!"

He was as polite as usual, "I apologize for interrupting your cheerful lunch. But chance meetings like this rarely happen, so would you mind if we talked for a bit?"

After telling him one of the reasons we were in the area, "...I see. You two are travelers."

What I said to him next, "I was surprised by...the influence of the Path of Peace. You sir, are the founder, right?"

"Yes. That's right. Ever since I was born, I had mysterious powers to heal people's wounds and see prophetic dreams. As I kept healing, and prophesying, more and more people gathered around me, proclaiming me as a man of miracles...by those people, the Path of Peace was created, and it became what it is now."

I was concerned, because I had a feeling of unusual dread in me, as if there was something evil within my body and soul. There was also concern about Bolic. "...Uh, um, about those people that serve you, do you sense anything with those mysterious powers? Like...darkness."

Mine yelled at me, "I-Idiot! That was way too unnatural!"

The Great Lord let out a hearty chuckle, "Hahaha, there is no such thing as a human without darkness. It's true that I sense deep darkness from some of the leaders. But when you're in charge of such a large organization, you sometimes have to make difficult decisions. While I was by myself, I could only save those who were right in front of me. But now, we've come this far thanks to those leaders who created this organization. I've chosen to believe in them."

Me, "Great Lord..."

"By the way...It looks like you two are getting along better than you were the last time we met." That caused Mine to deadpan, "Please treasure this moment. You two have been blessed by God."

 _"The only blessing I got was this...ever since I was born, my life was filled with terrible luck...at least...until I faced the source of it."_

* * *

 **Later; Back at the hideout:**

I went over the encounter with the Great Lord with Najenda, and even gave her my viewpoint on the situation with Bolic, "If we get rid of Bolic and fill the leadership with revolution sympathizes, we should be able to still create an uprising, even with the Great Lord's philosophy. But he's too trusting. He could end up being assassinated at any moment and become an actual spirit. We have to hurry with Bolic assassination..."

The silver-haired woman took a puff of her cigarette, "I see. Something like that happened. He sounds like a good lord."

I sighed, "Yeah...I know we'll end up taking advantage of him...but I can't help but not want that man to die."

She put out her cigarette in an ashtray, "...Don't get hasty. If you make a mistake, we'll crash head-on with Esdeath. We don't have enough soldiers to face her yet."

"Based on my observations, we'd need fifty-thousand elite soldiers, and at least ten **Imperial Arms** users—including Akame—just to face her."

"She and Great-General Budou are on a whole other level. Esdeath is the one who did this to my body."

"Did you start your own rebellion?"

"Actually, yes...it didn't end so well. I lost a significant number of troops...I sustained life-threatening injuries as well, and was on the border of life and death. The difference in our abilities was shown painfully clear to me...it's also possible that she didn't finish me off so that she could enjoy more wars to come...but either way, I'm alive and I'm still here. In the end, I will be the victor...and purge this trauma. But first, Bolic must be assassinated...! That cannot fail, no matter what...!"

* * *

 **Inside the cathedral:**

Kurome did some motions with her right hand to see if she was healed yet—she wasn't, "What should I do...? I'm still not healed."

"It's alright." Wave put his hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile, "I'll work hard to make up for last time."

"Wave..."

In another area, Esdeath was preparing a surprise for us—and not a good one— _"I wasn't just on boring bodyguard duty this whole time...Night Raid...I've prepared the **Trump Card** of my **Imperial Arms**. Hurry and come...! You're all in for a treat...!"_

* * *

 **Outside the Cathedral:**

 **Su** , Leone and Sayo finally reached the destination for the tunnel they were digging. "...Alright. We're through. We can finally make our move."

* * *

 **I had to edit a lot in this chapter. No fights; Sorry. Next Chapter will be the Jaegers Faction. Fights will include(In order)Ran(Soaring)vs Sayo(Archer), Wave(Carnage Incarnate)vs Akame(Assassin), Wave(Carnage Incarnate)vs Sayo(Sharp-Shot), Wave(Carnage Incarnate)vs Lubbock(Trapmaster), Esdeath(Ice Queen)vs Susanoo(Imperial Arms), and Esdeath(Ice Queen)vs Leone(Recon).** _**The parentheses next to the names are which variation the fighters are, since this is a crossover with "Mortal Kombat X".**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


	30. Chapter 30: Jaegers Faction 1

**Kill the Treachery: Jaegers Faction 1(Part 1)**

In Bolic's mansion, the man we were assigned to assassinate was playing Shogi with the two commanders of the Jaegers, Esdeath and Ran—Bolic was winning. "General, please continue to guard me for just two more weeks."

"Two weeks, huh...the anniversary of the founding of the religious organization...there's also a big festival that day."

"Yes. The preparations are finally complete. The Great Lord will die, and become an actual god in Heaven. And with the believers that I've gathered...I will announce...that I have become the new lord."

Needless to say, the last move Bolic made beat Ran, "It's my loss."

"Hah hah hah! You show promise, but there's too much difference in experience."

* * *

The two Jaegers walked out, and Esdeath already said this, "Letting him struggle, and then leaving him drunk on the triumphant feeling of a comeback. I appreciate you entertaining him with Shogi."

"A small task like that is nothing."

"Najenda must realize that her time limit is approaching as well. They'll be here soon. We'll strengthen the security."

* * *

 **Hideout:**

Yet again, we were discussing the plans to assassinate Bolic. Najenda was the one telling us what it was, "We have planned the day of the Path of Peace celebration."

Leone, "Wow! Going out with a bang, huh."

"During the festival, we'll slip through the crowds and sneak into the palace...then we'll go in for the kill." The silver-haired woman stabbed the drawing of Bolic on the table with a knife.

Me, _"Serves him right...but how will I be able to protect Mine this time?"_

The boss continued to speak, "This job will send the revolutionary army into action...failure is not an option!"

Everyone got that. Then **Su** came in, "Dinner time, everyone."

Ieysayu, "Alright! I'm starved!"

"I pulled out stops today. Is everyone ready to have their minds blown."

Everyone in the room, "Yeah!"

"Najenda gets ramen; the noodles are extra firm, and the balance of chicken and salt is just right."

Najenda, "Ooh!"

"Mine gets strawberry parfait; I even added a little something extra."

Mine, "Yummy!"

"And for Lubbock, I've prepared a fresh bokkai shrimp."

Lubbock, "Wha-ho-hoo!"

"Leone gets oden and assorted local brands of saké."

Leone, "Yah!"

"For Akame, I have a collection of meats from every beast I could find in the forest."

Akame was practically drooling.

"Sheele gets dango; every part is freshly made."

Sheele, "My my!"

"Chelsea gets a personal Strawberry short-cake."

Chelsea, "S-weet!"

"Sayo gets king salmon sushi; I just caught the salmon this morning."

Sayo, "Hahaha!"

"For Ieysayu, I prepared a ribeye steak, served with my special secret sauce."

Ieysayu, "Wahoo!"

"And Tatsumi said he's not picky, so he gets...well...this."

I couldn't help but grin—It's the thought that counts, right?—Ieysayu was in disbelief though, "Huh?! But that looks like it's for little kids!" Mine giggled.

Najenda, "As a special treat, I had **Susanoo** cook up everyone's favorite food...so go ahead and chow down, you're going to need energy!" Yeah, everyone already was. "Oh! No need to tell you twice! I'm glad everyone's hungry!"

Mine in particular, "MMM! So sweet! I love it! Tatsumi, you gotta try a bite of this!"

I responded with a smile, "Okay!" Then Leone pulled me to her before I had the chance, "Hurgh!"

"Tatsumiii! You 'do' know what you're supposed to do when my cup starts getting empty, don't Ya?!"

I sighed in defeat, and poured the saké into her box-shaped cup, "Yeah yeah! Okay, I'll pour you some more." This next part was sarcasm, "Not like I had something better to do."

Then the busty blonde started punching me in the gut affectionately, "That's right; you're such a good boy!"

Mine, "...Humph."

Akame just wolfed her food down; the other two guys were in shock for sure to see that the red-eyed girl was the first one finished.

Lubbock, "Good god! You ate all that?!"

Ieysayu, "How is that even possible?!"

Me, "Well, that's Akame for you; she loves her meat."

Akame, "Another amazing meal! Thank you, **Su**."

Ieysayu, "Yeah!"

Sayo, "Seriously, I don't know what we'd do without you! You're awesome!"

Su seemed happy for one moment—"I'm deeply honored to know I've pleased you,"—then, out of all the things that could've set him off, "but Tatsumi, you didn't eat the last grain of rice...I don't know if I can stand it!"

Leone, "Sure is a shame; this guy would be perfect if he wasn't so nitpicky all the time!"

After we finished eating, Najenda told us more about the plan, "The tunnel to the cathedral is complete. We will finally commence the Bolic assassination mission."

Ieysayu, "So we're going to target him at the cathedral and not his mansion, huh."

"We've heard reports that Bolic's mansion has been riddled with traps. It's better not to target him there, don't you think?"

Lubbock had blueprints to the cathedral, "Looking at the rough layout of the cathedral, there seem to be a lot of decorations and objects there, too. It's a great setup for us assassins, since we can hide ourselves easily."

Akame, "According to an insider's information, the target offers a night prayer once every month...It'll be the day after tomorrow. It matches the intel from our spies as well. We make our move that night."

Sheele, "Is he really praying?"

Lub was annoyed by what he immediately thought, "It's just an act to gain popularity. I bet he's playing around with women every day."

Ieysayu, "DAMN THAT BASTARD!"

Mine, "But Boss, don't you think they've already anticipated an attack from underground?"

Sayo, "What? Seriously?!"

 **Su** , "Objectively speaking, they must already consider it a possibility."

Najenda, "Of course. But that's why we'll split into three teams. First, a diversion team from underground. They will charge head on, creating a great commotion and attracting the attention of our enemy. **Susanoo** , Leone, Tatsumi and I will be this team."

Leone spoke with enthusiasm, "Since it's a team that needs to be defensive, all the members have great defense or a high recovery rate."

"The Jaegers will most likely respond to the attack, but don't take them head-on. We'll lead them on a rabbit chase and focus on surviving. Around the same time, team two—consisting of Sheele, Chelsea, and Ieysayu—will aid in any possible leftovers." Najenda continued, "And shortly following the initial attack, the rest of the members will use the air-manta to infiltrate the cathedral from the sky, and assassinate Bolic in the midst of the chaos!"

Ieysayu, "Air-manta!? That thing we rode when we were in the woods!?"

"I asked headquarters to send it our way. It could arrive as soon as tonight."

Ieysayu was frustrated by this fact, _"I don't get to ride it...?"_

"Akame, Mine, Lubbock, Sayo; I'm counting on you!"

Mine, "Roger!"

Sayo, "Our only target is Bolic, right?"

Najenda, "Yeah. We'll go in with a specific goal. If our goal is to assassinate Bolic and not eliminate Esdeath, we can complete that objective even with our limited resources."

 **Su** , "If that's the case, how much of their forces we've whittled down until now will play a huge role.'

Ieysayu, "Yeah. We'll have much fewer enemies to worry about."

Najenda, "Protecting a target isn't Esdeath's strong point because her forte is attacking."

Leone, "She might leave an opening."

Akame, "Bolic...will be eliminated."

* * *

It was good for the girls that there was a bath in the hideout. Najenda, Chelsea, and Mine in particular were relaxing. "Whew...It's nice that even the supporting hideout has a bath."

Mine, "It's great for resting our bodies to prepare for the upcoming battle."

What was going on in Chelsea's head; _"Maybe I should say something to her."_ Then, Chelsea turned to the pinkette, "Hey, Mine. Since we'll be assaulting the cathedral..."

The latter interrupted, "Why are you being so serious all of the sudden?"

"How's it going with Tatsumi? Since it's a mission where we don't know what will happen, shouldn't you make sure you have no regrets in your heart?"

Mine's face was turning red, "WHA...WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA-WHA-WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?"

Najenda, "Well, for someone like me, it's easy to tell what's in the hearts of my subordinates."

"I was gonna say that, except for the 'subordinates' part." Then the redhead turned back to Mine, "You sat next to Tatsumi today, too. That's a sure sign that you like him." She had a devious smile on her face.

"Well, in the end, everything is up to you, Mine."

Chelsea teased the pinkette again, "You know, if you keep dragging your feet, Leone will..." A bucket of water was tossed into her face, "Bwah!"

Mine stormed out, "I'M GETTING OUT NOW!"

Chelsea was left dumbfounded, "Uuum..."

Najenda, "Hah...It's nice to be young." The silver-haired woman then thought to herself, _"I won't let...anyone die. **Susanoo** 's second usage of **Magatama Manifestation**...I'll probably have to use it..."_

* * *

In the living room, Akame finished building a model ship. Sayo, "...Akame, I didn't know you could make stuff like this."

"A comrade taught me."

Leone, "You didn't know?"

Me, "She might've been making them in her room anyway. It'd be fun to go on a ship like this."

"Yeah, I'd like to see what it's like outside the empire."

Akame smiled, "Yeah. Once the country is at peace, let's go with everyone."

Mine walked into the room, already dressed in her pajamas, "The Boss and Chelsea are still in there, but there's room in the bath now."

Leone and Sayo perked up, "Oh?"

Leone, "Then let's go in. Akame, wash my back!"

"Yep."

The blonde teased me, again, "Wanna come with, Tatsumi?"

My face was red in embarrassment, "S-Stop saying stuff like that!"

"Hahah, just kidding. It's always fun teasing you."

The three girls walked to the bath. I needed to let off the steam, "Geez, Sis is always like that...It's annoying."

Mine sat down next to me, "Well, you say that, but you seem to enjoy it."

"*Sigh* Don't push it..."

The Chelsea's words rang through the pinkette's head, _"You know if, you keep dragging your feet, Leone will..."_ She let out a light sigh, and also blushed lightly, "Hey, Tatsumi."

"What is it?"

"I have something important to talk to you about after this mission. Will you listen?"

I started blushing heavier, "Now you've made me curious...can't you tell me now?"

She got up, turned, and walked to her room, "Nooope." I knew that kind of blush she had; the one when you have deep feelings for someone. _"This is fine. The Boss, Chelsea and I think in opposite ways...I want to make my will to live stronger, even if it's just ny a tiny bit. To think I'd start having feelings for him because he saved me...I'm so simple...then again, he always showed me that kind of affection since he first joined..."_

In the hallway, Sheele was holding a struggling Ieysayu, and **Su** snagged Lubbock, "Gaaaaah, let us go, **Su**! Let us smash that stupid lovey-dovery atmosphere!"

Ieyasyu, "I'm so jealous! Besides, wasn't that line just now a complete rip-off from Lub?!"

In **Su** 's head(He looked proud of Mine and I with the smile on his face), _"Everyone's calm and focused. We're in optimal condition for the infiltration...All that's left now is...to give it everything we have!"_

* * *

 **Day of the festival; Cathedral:**

Two guards were on patrol when I stabbed them. "Guh!" "Gah!" I used **Incursio** 's invisibility to do so. Then, we used a rope to scale up the wall in order to enter the courtyard. There, we were greeted by lots of guards(by a number, but the percentage of what it was compared to what used to be at the start was extremely small). We easily plowed right through them. Perhaps too easily.

* * *

 **Inside:**

A mortally wounded soldier made it inside, and lived long enough to inform Esdeath of the scenario; "It...It's an emergency! Bandits have appeared in the courtyard out of nowhere...!"

Esdeath expected this, "I knew you'd choose tonight, Night Raid. Just as planned."

Bolic, on the other hand, was stunned, "Co-Courtyard!? They're right outside!"

Esdeath turned to Akame's little sister, "Kurome, don't leave Bolic's side!"

"Roger!"

Bolic was practically trembling in fear at the Ice Queen's feet, "Ge...General! Please protect me yourself!"

Her response...well..."Hold your head up, and act high and mighty like you always do! How pathetic." She jammed her heel in between the man's eyes, "I won't leave the cathedral no matter how much you worry."

"Ugh!?"

 _"No matter how much commotion you cause, it's your loss if you can't assassinate Bolic. Now...come!_

* * *

 **In the air; on Air-Manta:**

Team three was on their way to the location. "Alright!" Lubbock started, "We'll charge in through the roof of the cathedral! Mine, once we're almost there, use **Pumpkin** to blast a good-sized hole, while Sayo gives us cover-fire!"

Mine, "I know! I'm ready to go!"

Sayo, "So am I!"

The green-haired boy noted this as well, "But **Pumpkin** sure is a tough **Imperial Arms**. It was fine even after going through an explosion."

The pinkette's response, "That's true, but that was nothing compared to what it went through while Boss was using it."

"It won't recoil or anything, right?"

"No way. Leave it to me, you wimp." Then, an flashback replayed in her mind—of me complementing her after our first encounter with Scorpion, _"I believed in you the entire time, Genius Sniper!"_ She then spoke again, this time with a blush on her face, "Besides, I'm a genius sniper."

Suddenly, out of nowhere, Ran appeared. Akame for one was shocked, "What?!"

"As expected, a second team from the skies. Looks like we had the better strategy this time."

Sayo backsassed him, as the blonde landed on the flying danger beast, "Well then, fly boy...try it!"

Fight

Sayo low kicked Ran, who responded with a low kick followed by an uppercut. The blonde man then threw a feather at her. The black-haired girl fired three explosive arrows at him, which he blocked with **Mastema** 's wings, but still took chip damage. Ran then charged at Sayo with his shoulder, knocking her back. The girl had hitstun. Ran then used his **Imperial Arms** to propel himself into the air for a few seconds, before slamming his back down onto the air-manta, creating a small shock wave, and ending the fight by repeating " **Mastema Float** "—but this time, Ran dived forward with an aerial kick.

Ran Wins

He scoffed at Sayo before flying off of Air-Manta. "Knowing that I was here, and still attacking from the sky, my territory, was..." He launched a massive barrage of feather darts directly into the fish's chest, fatally wounding it, "'Poor strategy.' This is a textbook example."

Lubbock was horrified by what he witnessed, "Wa..."

They were falling out of the sky, "WAAAAHH"

On a perch at the cathedral, Wave saw the air-manta falling, with **Grand Chariot** 's sword drawn, _"So you're here, Night Raid. Revenge for Bols, Seryu and **Coro**...and for Kurome's injury...I'll...Settle them all here!"_

* * *

 ** _It looks like Wave doesn't understand who was "Truly" responsible. This looks bad, doesn't it?_**

 ** _Wave, Susanoo, and all the others' Movesets still need a lot of work._**

 ** _Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow._**

 **Important Notification**

 ** _No one is giving me any ideas as to "WHAT MOVES SHOULD THE FIGHTERS USE IN THE BATTLES?!" and I want you people to give me that in the Reviews or, in the case of those with accounts, Private Messages! That's why this story is on HIATUS; because you're not even trying!_**

 ** _Sorry, I'm just frustrated._**

 ** _Seriously though, There are so many movesets on my account in Deviantart(Variations included)that you should be able to choose._**

 ** _I'm not very good at creating longer fight scenes for fighting game stories, so give me something to work with. Make it look like two-player as well. Keep in mind that each fight is reduced to one round, with the only exception being certain Boss fights._**

 ** _Seriously, it's to be treated like it's Mortal Kombat X/XL by now._**


	31. Chapter 31: Jaegers Faction 1

**Kill the Evil: Jaegers Faction 1(Part 2)**

We were literally standing on top of a pile of dead soldiers. "That was far too easy."

Najenda nodded, "She's not coming out even after we've made this much commotion...Could she have fled?"

"That doesn't sound like something Esdeath would do at all."

Leone, "No, she's still here. I feel a repulsive, murderous aura coming from the cathedral..."

The silver-haired woman confirmed it, "It's definitely Esdeath. She's eager to hunt us down."

 **Su** interrupted, "It's almost time for Akame's group's aerial assault, Najenda."

Me, "I have a 'really' bad feeling about this."

Najenda thought to herself for a moment, _"For the assassination to be successful, we have to attract Esdeath's group's attention. There's no other choice!"_ Then the Boss said, "Change of plans! We'll charge into the cathedral instead!"

Team two came out of hiding for Najenda to give them another order, "Chelsea, Sheele, try and aid Akame's group when they arrive! Ieysayu, you're with us!"

"Roger!" We said in unison, as I went invisible again.

The Boss then turned to her **Imperial Arms** , " **Susanoo** , is the **Trump Card** ready?"

"Yeah. It'll activate as soon as you say the keyword."

Needless to say, we rushed in, _"We'll be in the greatest danger right after the assassination is complete. Esdeath will no longer have anyone to guard, and will be able to focus her complete attention on attacking us. If that's the case, the best timing for the **Magatama Manifestation** is...right after the assassination of Bolic! I'll use it to keep everyone alive after the mission!"_

* * *

 **Meanwhile:**

Team three was falling out of the air, clinging for dear life, "That attack killed the air-manta! We're gonna crash!"

Ran was already coming back, "I won't let this chance slip by."

He threw more feathers at them. However—as you should already know by now—the more danger the user is in, the deadlier **Pumpkin** becomes, "And I won't let this danger slip by!"

The blast Mine unleashed barely missed Ran, but it "did" incinerate most of the left side of his clothing. _"That **Imperial Arms**...is far more dangerous than I imagined..." _ That moment, Ran decided to make a desperate retreat.

 _"...It just scraped him. Too bad I can't use the cut-down shot all the time."_

Then, Ran threw a few more feathers before vanishing. Luckily, Akame deflected them all with **Murasame** , "That was an impressive shot, Mine. You drove him away."

"Humph. Your follow-up was nice, too!"

Lubbock, "Save the chit chat for later! We'll all die from the crash if we don't do something!" While the three girls were holding onto him, the green-haired man started wrapping the dead danger beast—all passengers still onboard as well—with numerous strings, "This should work as an impromptu cushion." Indeed it did. "Impressive..." They all were off the fallen beast and showed their gratitude, "the air-manta's body absorbed all the force of the impact."

Akame, "Thanks for everything."

Mine, "You saved us in the end."

Akame turned her attention to the cathedral, "We fell before we reached our target. Let's hurry to the cathedral."

"I won't let you." Wave walked towards them, and he was serious, "Your opponent is me."

This came to everyone's alarm, Lubbock in particular, "A jaeger!?"

Mine, "You sure about this?"

Sayo prepared her bow and arrow, "Even if you're not our target, the four of us will show no mercy!"

Wave's response was unsheathing his sword—"Come assassins...You even injured Ran...I'm not going to lose any more comrades...! I won't let you hurt anyone else...!"—and stuck the tip of the blade into the ground, activating his **Imperial Arms** , " **GRAND CHARIOOOOOOOOOT**!" They all watched as the armor wrapped itself around Wave's body. Mine shot at him, but the beam missed completely.

Then, Akame tried to slash at Wave with **Murasame**...nothing. _"This armor...won't let the blade penetrate to the skin...The armor doesn't have any...openings...!"_

Fight

Akame jumped towards Wave and tried to do a downward aerial kick on him, but the former member of the imperial navy countered it with a high kick, and chained it with Skyfall; Wave backflipped and, in mid-air, launched himself forward, headbutting the dark-haired girl in Chest. Akame then tried slashing him, but **Murasame** 's blade still couldn't pierce through **Grand Chariot** 's armor, though it did knock Wave back. He came back with a Rib Breaker; Wave grabbed Akame, delivered two elbows to the ribs, then flipped the girl to the ground. Wave charged at her, and punched the girl in the abdomen.

Wave Wins

"It doesn't matter how many of you there are!"

That one hit sent Akame flying into three trees, snapping them down, before she hit a fourth and she ended up coughing up some blood. "Gah!"

He would've killed her on the spot, if Lubbock hadn't snared him with strings, "Alright! Got hi..." Before he could finish, Wave broke out of Lub's snare, and charged right at the green bean, who had already set up another string trap, _"Come on! Get caught by my trap strings!"_ Lubbock was shocked when Wave jumped over them, _He knew about them already!?"_

"I'll destroy every single one of you!" Wave tried to do a dive kick on Lubbock, but missed, because Sayo knocked him out of the air with a stun arrow.

Fight

Wave tried launching " **Grand Fall** " at Sayo, but the latter managed to dodge, and hit him with her bow's blades three times. She then used another Stun Arrow; Sayo empowers her arrows with a blue stun quiver for about six seconds. If she fires an arrow while this effect is on, it will leave her opponent in a stunned state for a few moments, giving Sayo enough time to hit them even when she's on the other side of the arena. However, Wave blocked it and charged at Sayo with a successful Rib Breaker, followed by a Skyfall. The blue-haired man summoned **Grand Chariot** 's version of _Neuntote_ , and smacked her three times, causing hit-stun, as he then launched an enhanced version of **Grand Fall** , _Great Grand Fall_.

Wave Wins

Wave turned his attention back to Lubbock, who was already prepared, "Now now now, don't hurt the ladies!...Try fighting another man instead."

Fight

Wave tried doing a diving kick, but was stopped, and knocked back by Lubbock's **Ground Trap** ;Lubbock summoned more of his string traps to burst out of the ground in a series of three. Wave then launched Force Claws; Wavewound up and then hit the greenbean with a double palm strike. Lubbock then threw a **Tri-knife** at Wave, causing the latter to stumble some. The Jaeger then launched " **Grand Fall** " at the green-haired man, causing him to fly back, and chained it with a suplex throw. Wave ended the fight with an X-Ray Move; Wave first kicked dirt/dust to daze the user of **Crosstail** before sliding in to break both of his ankles. Afterwards, he ran up behind him and slashed the green-haired man in the back with his weapon, causing damage to the shoulder blades, ribs, and spine before slamming Lubbock to the ground, shattering the spine even more.

Wave Wins

Wave kicked Lubbock hard into the trees.

Mine, "Why, you!" To her alarm, the Jaeger dodged the blast from **Pumpkin**. _"What...the hell?"_

Sayo, _"Was he always this strong?!"_

Akame, _"He's like a force of nature...If we don't hurry...the distraction team will be annihilated..."_

* * *

 **Inside the cathedral:**

Esdeath was waiting for us, obviously. "Long time no see, Najenda."

"Esdeath..."

Up on the altar, with Natara and Kurome at his sides, Bolic was watching everyone—or rather watching Leone's breasts—with dirty eyes, _"So that's Night Raid...oho. How seductive..."_ Yeah, that's why Lubbock hates him so much, unfortunately. On the other hand, I was waiting for the opportunity to shoot the bastard's brains out with my pistol—which I prepped with a silencer, and already checked the magazine to see if the bullets were loaded.

The Ice Queen unsheathed her rapier, preparing for one helluva battle, "You went through all the trouble of coming here, so I'll treat you with my **Imperial Arms**! And let's catch up afterwards, IN THE TORTURE CHAMBER."

Our boss, in her typical badass manner, responded with this comeback, "I'll pass. I don't really wanna talk to you."

"You're so cold." That's ironic because it's Esdeath who said that, "I even prepared a **Trump Card** for you."

That confused Najenda, "I thought that your **Imperial Arms** , **Demon's Extract** , had no such thing as a **Trump Card**."

"That's right. That's why I invented it on my own. Isn't it amazing?"

I knew what it was already—because I've been through this same exact scenario before— _" **Mahapadma** ; the ability to literally freeze time...Better go Shaolin, because speed won't work..."_

 **Su** , "Did she just want to brag?"

Leone had a sweatdrop, "A **Trump Card** isn't something you invent on your own, is it?"

Najenda, "That's just like Esdeath; breaking the limits."

The blue-haired woman pointed her rapier at them, and explained, "But then again, it's a technique that uses a significant amount of energy. I won't use it unless I have to."

"WELL THAT MIGHT BE SOONER THAN YOU THINK!" Ieysayu exclaimed.

Esdeath's response, "I look forward to the fight that forces me to use it." My friend was left dumbfounded.

Najenda, _"...Akame's group still isn't here...Then we'll go on the offensive, and divert Esdeath's attention."_

"Kurome. Focus on guarding him. We never know where their other members will strike from."

"Roger. _If it's my sister, she'll definitely do something."_

I was still waiting for an opening while invisible. Now don't go thinking that I would act all cocky; I was actually sweating underneath my armor. Every passing second, I was in greater danger, because the invisibility was slowly reaching its limit. _"I have to be patient. My role is to strike down Bolic in the midst of the commotion. I have to focus on that!"_

Esdeath snapped her finger and created a giant ball of ice, "Let's go, Night Raid!" The imperial general slammed it down.

"Get behind me!" Luckily, **Su** used his Wolf Fang Mace(Staff/Club)to smash the ball to pieces before it even reached the ground.

Esdeath then shot numerous shards of ice at him, "Then how about this?"

 **Su** used the hidden blades in the Wolf Fang Mace as a spinning shield, shredding most of the shards, but a couple pierced his abdomen, much to Bolic's pleasure, "OH! Well done!" That pleasure quickly turned to alarm when the human **Imperial Arms** regenerated, "What!?"

"Are you...The organic **Imperial Arms** from the reports?" this definitely added to Esdeath's excitement, "This is getting more interesting by the second!"

 **Su** , "Now it's my turn!"

Leone, "Bring it!"

In my head, _"That's definitely something Jax would say."_

Fight

 **Susanoo** thrusted his Wolf-Fang Mace at Esdeath, but the latter created an ice decoy which was hit instead(The shards alone caused damage), and swung away with her rapier, until **Su** was low on health. At that point, she unleashed an X-Ray Move; Esdeath charged at **Su** with a cold shoulder attack and punched into his abdomen, proceeding to freeze and crush the human **Imperial Arms** ' stomach, also cracking his ribs. She recoiled and kicked **Su** in the side of the head, shattering his skull and jaw.

Esdeath Wins-Flawless Victory

The Ice Queen wasn't finished yet— **Su** got back up and charged toward her. Esdeath then placed her hand onto the ground, and created a giant ice pillar in front of her, impaling **Su** , "I'll skewer you."

Leone tried to swipe at Esdeath, only to be impaled from behind by her sword. _"What reaction speed! She's even faster than a beast...!"_

Esdeath easily avoided Najenda's reel, and saw that Leone had already healed, "Oho. The woman is a human, yet she has such a high recovery rate. Must be the **Imperial Arms** ' ability."

I had moved in closer to Bolic than previously; I was only four yards away from him, _"I was able to move this much closer during that exchange...After one or two more like that, I'll...strike him down!"_

Najenda was bruised big time, _"They're still not here...? Something must have happened to Akame's group. Are they being held up by the Jaegers that aren't here...?!"_ Ieysayu was still dumbfounded until Najenda smacked him in the head, again, "Get your head in the game!"

Esdeath had a smug look on her face, "I've found some interesting specimens." She placed her hand on the ground again—"I'll capture you all."—and created a sheet of ice lined with jagged spikes that everyone barely dodged. However, that was exactly what the empire's strongest wanted, as she arm-chopped Najenda's spine, "There are many things I want to ask you."

"Guh!" The silver-haired woman was shot to the ground.

Leone leaped at Esdeath, but ended up getting heel-kicked to the floor. Then **Su** lunged at the Ice Queen again, only to be frozen the moment _she_ touched _him_ , "Freeze..." Within only seconds, **Su** was trapped in solid ice, "Capture complete." The shockwave produced knocked out Ieysayu.

"Uh..." Leone was struggling to get back up, "ugh..." Esdeath stabbed the blonde in the hand, and then flipped her over, "Ugh!"

"Your recovery powers...are very interesting." Leone couldn't even lift a finger because she was badly injured, "Does the recovery rate differ depending on the part of the body? Let's test it out." With her rapier drawn, Esdeath created the following wounds on Leone. "Gouge out one eye. Open a hole in the cheek. Rip the nails off the hand. Slice the right breast off. Cut off an arm. Stab the tail as well. Cut off the foot. Chop off the toes."

Needless to say, Leone was in a lot of pain—"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...AA...A..."—but still alive, thanks to **Lionelle**.

Esdeath thought very little of the pain Leone was under, "Oho, still alive, huh?...Impressive vitality. Then I'll...keep giving you what should be fatal wounds. Just how long will you survive...?" She only paused when she sensed something approaching her quickly, "A murderous aura!" That's when I tried to do a flying kick on her(The source of the aura was me, because I saw everything; the anger causing more of my inner demon to break free)and barely missed, but still grazing her abdomen. She didn't even notice it, it was so small, "As I thought, there was another assassin. How naive, getting baited by something like this."

Underneath my helmet, my left eye was glowing red in what was normally green, while my right eye was red with a cross-slit shaped pupil because of **Incursio**. _"How can I stay quiet...while Sis is getting mangled...!?"_

" **Incursio**...! I've always wanted to try fighting you!"

* * *

 _ **This chapter took a while, because nobody is giving me anything for the guys, send me something useful for once!**_

 _ **Next Chapter's fights are(In Order)Chelsea(Sincere)vs Kano(Commando), Sheele(Scissor)vs Wave(Carnage Incarnate), Susanoo(Magatama Manifestation)vs Esdeath(Ice Queen), and Tatsumi(Edenian)vs Esdeath(Sadist).**_

 _ **Please leave a review, favorite, and/or follow.**_


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